Final Exam - Angiosperm Families Flashcards
Aquatic plants, emergent in water/ponds, widespread
Loosely arranged (undetermined # of petals, sepals, stamens, etc.)
Variable # of carpels; numerous ovules in each; carpels barely fused at base of ovaries
Usually med/large showy flowers
Poorly arranged vascular bundles (like poorly organized version of tree vascular system with some air canals present too)
Nymphaceae: water-lily family
Mostly small trees but a few large, tropical to warm temperate, several in eastern US
Flowers organized in 3’s
Typically with tepals - sepals and petals rarely distinguishable from each other
Large, showy, unorganized flowers with elongate floral receptacle
Apocarpy - lots of free carpels
Alternate, simple leaves with entire margins
Fruit a strobilus/cluster of follicles with brightly colored arillate seeds
Magnoliaceae: magnolia family
Pantropical, very few warm temperate (a few woody shrubs), diverse in montane and lowland tropical habitats
Busy/bunched branched inflorescence
Oily berry in colorful cupule
Typically aromatic leaves (and inner bark and fruit)
Small yellow or white unattractive flowers with 2 whorls of 3 tepals each
Stamens in whorls of 3s; stamens have flaps that open to release pollen
Simple pistil with single carpel and single seeded fruit
Often shiny/evergreen type leaves
Lauraceae: laurel family, bay, cinnamon, sassafras
Overwhelmingly tropical monocots, many epiphytes and climbers, in wetlands and high precipitation areas
Robust herbs with large leaves
Inflorescence with spathe (modified bract leaf) and spadix (fleshy spike), tiny flowers embedded in spadix
Araceae
Mostly tropical monocots, twining vines, a few temperate
Wide leaf blade with parallel venation
Inferior ovary (epigynous)
Fruit a winged capsule
Important starch tubers and for steroidal compounds
Dioscoreaceae: yam family
Herbaceous perennials with rhizomes, bulbs, or corms
Mostly of temperate northern hemisphere
Leaves elliptical/oblanceolate, parallel venation, entire margin, sheathing
Undifferentiated perianth with 2 whorls of 3 tepals (usually reflexed)
Six stamens
Fruit a 3-locule capsule or berry
Tulips included here
Liliaceae: lily family
Perennial herbs with bulbs, rhizomes, and typical monocot leaves
Wetlands, grasslands, Mediterranean/semi-arid, tropical rainforests
Equitant basal leaves (leaves grasping stem or next leaf, fan-like arrangement)
Inferior ovary, 1 whorl of 3 stamens, 1-2 bracts subtend the inflorescence
K3 (falls) C3 (standards) A3 G(3)
Sepals larger and showier than petals
Iridaceae: iris family
Largest family, maybe 30k species
Overwhelmingly tropical epiphytes, all temperate species are terrestrial
Staggering variation of orchid flower forms, very specialized pollination strategies
Very showy lipped (lip is labellum) flower, labellum oriented downward after bud-burst in vast majority
Hermaphroditic sex organ (column), anther is fused to pistil
Masses of pollen in “dumbell” configuration to get hooked to insect for transport
Roots have outer spongy tissue, and possibly a pseudobulb for water storage
Fruit a capsule with many seeds inside
Orchidaceae: orchid family
Family has expanded and contracted multiple times, current expansion includes several former small families
Typical monocot flowers: whorls organized in 3s, undifferentiated perianth (tepals)
Some inferior/superior ovaries
Most polypetalous, but some fused into bell or tube
Fruit is 3 chambered capsule with seeds that have black seed coats
Asparagaceae: asparagus, agaves, yuccas, Solomon’s seal, hyacinth
Arborescent monocots mostly restricted to tropics and subtropics in swamps, riparian areas, and early successional rainforest
Complex branched inflorescence with spathe, very small flowers with basic monocot organization (all 3s)
Primary thickening meristem: cap-like growth region widens first as seedling and then grows in height
Don’t really make wood; supported by strong fibers or persistent leaf bases
Pleated (plicate) leaves form compound (pinnate or palmate) leaves by separating along folds as they expand
Fruit a berry or drupe
Some edible (coconut, dates), oil, construction, thatch, mats, cordage; very economically important
Arecaceae: palms
Tropical monocot herbs, many large “trees”; wetlands, disturbed openings
Biggest diagnostic feature is large leaves with penne-pinnate venation: prominent midvein with parallel secondaries
Very specialized flowers with sterile stamens (staminodes) that form a lip
Differentiated perianth, zygomorphic, inferior ovary
Most have inflorescence with colorful bracts
Commercially important fruits and spices
Stem is made from persistent leaf bases
Zingiberales (order): gingers, turmeric, bird-of-paradis, banana, plantain
Cosmopolitan family well represented at high latitudes and altitudes, abundant and diverse in wetlands
Separated from grasses by 3-angled stems and firm leaf sheaths
3-ranked leaves
Spikelet inflorescence: chaffy bracts arranged in a spiral or flat plane, each with a tiny flower
Genus Carex with unisexual flowers and a bract called a perigynium that encloses the achene fruit
Cyperaceae: sedges
The most important family of flowering plants for humans
Cosmopolitan distribution of meadows, wetlands, open woodlands, basically any open area including humanized environments
Cylindrical or 2-angled (flat) stem, leaf sheath splits easily and contains ligule (flap of tissue or ring of hairs). Internodes of most are hollow.
More complicated spikelet inflorescence than sedges: 2 glumes (basal bracts) that bear no flowers, flowers above glumes sandwiched between two bracts: a chaffy lemma below and a translucent palea above
Fruit is specialized caryopsis, small achene-like fruit with seed coat and fruit fused
Cool season varieties grow and flower in spring, warm season varieties in the heat of summer
C4 photosynthesis
Poaceae: grasses
Herbaceous, diverse in temperate zone ranging up to high latitudes.
Varied flower form, lots of coevolution with pollinators
Numerous spirally arranged stamens, gynoecium is always apocarpous
Often compound leaves with leaflets that have a few apical teeth or lobes (“duck feet”); palmately lobed leaves also common; leaves sheathing, which is rare outside monocots.
Many poisonous with alkaloids or terpenoids, others used in herbal medicine.
Many examples of important garden plants.
Achenes, berries, follicles; each derived from a single carpel.
Ranunculaceae: buttercup family
Small, mid-latitude family; includes true poppies and bleeding hearts
True poppies: dish shaped flower w/ corolla in 2 series of petals with “crumpled” look; numerous stamens.
Bleeding hearts: specialized bilateral zygomorphic corolla with 1 or 2 spur petals; stamens in 2 series arranged for directing pollinators
Inferior ovary
True poppies have toxic colored latex; bleeding hearts have clear toxic sap; most species quite poisonous.
Leaves often compound and resembling closely related Ranunculaceae
Many important garden plants; also the opium poppy, which is the most important species
Papaveraceae: poppies
Perennial herbs/small shrubs; north temperate; common in cold climates, boreal and high elevation habitats; often on rocky slopes or thin soils
Most common floral formula K5 C5 A5,10 (with hypanthium)
Most have 2 barely fused carpels (fused at bottom)
Pistil rests inside hypanthium while other floral parts grow from the rim of the cup
Leaves often in basal rosettes; often palmately veined/lobed; toothed margins
Usually a spike, raceme, or panicle inflorescence with tiny white (usually) flowers
Fruit are capsule of various shapes typically formed from 2 carpels
Saxifragaceae: saxifrage family
Mostly tropical but well represented in temperate zone; mostly tendrilled lianas, but a few shrubs and trees too
Leaves alternate, but tendrils grow opposite the leaves
Prominent nectary disk in flowers; flowers drop their corollas when they open
Vitaceae: grape family
Herbaceous in our flora, some shrubs
Leaves palmately divided or lobed
Typical Rosid flowers organized in 5s
Fruit is a schizocarp with long pointed “crane’s bill” with carpels separating and curing upwards
Geraniaceae: geranium family
Tropical woody plants and temperate herbs
Trifoliate “shamrock” leaves that fold at night
Sour taste from oxalic acid
Typical Rosid flowers organized in 5s
Different lengths of stamens and sometimes different lengths of styles as a mechanical means of
Oxalidaceae: wood-sorrel family
Cosmopolitan trees, shrubs, lianas; most diverse in tropical regions; many troublesome invasive plants (wintercreeper, burning bush)
Brightly colored fruit capsule with brightly colored arillate seeds inside
Many with colored photosynthetic twigs
Prominent nectary disk; pale yellow to white flowers
K4-5 C4-5 A4-5 G(2-5) superior ovary
Celastraceae: bittersweet family
Temperate and herbaceous; tropical genera are trees
Leaves stipulate and serrate or otherwise toothed
Zygomorphic Rosid-type flowers organized in 5s; backward pointing spur petal; 5 club-like stamens
Parietal placentation
3-carpellate capsule, the 3 carpels almost completely separate
Stemmed and stemless varieties
Violaceae: violet family
Trees and shrubs of wet areas
Leaves stipulate and serrate; usually lanceolate or narrower but not always
Deioecious with staminate and pistillate flowers in catkins; highly reduced flowers in the genus in our flora, while temperate flora have more typical Rosid flowers
2-3 carpellate capsules that release numerous hairy seeds
Salicaceae: willow family
Weedy plants in our region, trees/shrubs/succulents in other regions
Simple, lobed, or divided leaves
Most produce white or colored latex; poisonous
Tiny unisexual flowers; insect pollinated due to extrafloral nectaries
Fruit is a 3 (or 6) lobed 3-carpel schizocarp - looks like a capsule but 3 carpels completely separate
Euphorbiaceae: spurge family
Temperate herbs (most) and shrubs (some) in our flora; tropical genera are trees
Leaves opposite, entire margin, translucent or dark glands spotted throughout leaf blade (and sometimes flowers); apex often rounded
Rosid-type flower usually with yellow corolla and numerous stamens (in 5s or 4s)
Fruit is an ovate pointed capsule; parietal placentation
Hypericaceae: St. Johnswort
Mostly temperate; herbaceous and woody; ours are early successional trees found in disturbed areas
Herbaceous genera have compound leaves; most tree genera have simple leaves
Leaves stipulate; margins sharply serrate
Showy flowers with hypanthium; perianth organized in 5s; stamens numerous or 2-4 whorls of 5; apocarpous OR 1 carpel OR 5 fused carpels
Fruit various: pome, aggregate, drupe, achene, follicle
Our tree genus (Prunus) has inferior ovary; mostly simple leaves; 2-3 small glands at base of leaf blade or on petiole; produce drupes or pomes
Very important for fruits (apple, pear, cherry, apricot, peach, almond, strawberry, blackberry/raspberry); Many ornamentals too (crabapple, hawthorn, etc.)
Rosaceae: rose family
Mostly tropical trees, lianas, and stranglers; a few temperate trees
Produce white latex
Leaves sometimes lobed, always stipulate
Flowers tiny, always unisexual, mostly wind pollinated (ficus has specialized symbiosis with wasps)
Most fruit are multiple fruit formed of several to many dozen units from individual pistillate flowers (ficus fruit is syconium)
Moraceae: figs, mulberries
Our flora are herbaceous; shrubs and a few trees in tropics
Many have stinging hairs
Leaves coarsely toothed: serrate, dentate, crenate
Very tiny flowers in congested inflorescence
Fruit a tiny achene
Urticaceae: nettles
Largest Rosid family, 3rd most diverse angiosperm family; everything from herbs to trees to shrubs to lianas in tropics, temperate, and arctic
Compound leaves 1-pinnate, bipinnate, or trifoliate; leaves are stipulate; leaflets often elliptical or linear and entire margined
Rosid-type flowers w/ perianth in 5s; either zygomorphic or “pom-pom” head with prominent stamens and reduced corolla
Fruit a legume
Nodulated roots site of symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Some have leaves with “nyctinasty” (sleep/night movements)
Fabaceae: legume family
Mostly temperate trees
Leaves often either lobed or toothed (but sometimes entire), stipulate
Wind-pollinated tiny unisexual flowers
Monoecious; staminate flowers in catkins, pistillate in tiny cymes
Fruit is a nut associated with an involucre, bur, or cap
Fagaceae: beeches, oaks, chestnuts
Trees and shrubs of disturbed or wetland/riparian habitats
Often multi-stemmed; bark thin, often papery/peeling
Leaves doubly serrate
Tiny wind-pollinated unisexual flowers
Monoecious: staminate and pistillate flowers both in separate catkins
Fruit a nutlet or samara; associated with a leafy or woody bract forming a cluster that is sometimes cone-like in appearance
Betulaceae: birch family
Temperate trees, diverse in eastern North America
Compound leaves aromatic (at least slightly) with oil glands; leaflets serrate
Tiny/reduced wind-pollinated flowers; staminate in catkins and pistillate in tiny cymes
Fruit a husked nut
Juglandaceae: walnut, hickory
All woody plants; most familiar genus Acer has simple leaves but others genera have palmate or pinnately compound leaves
Compound inflorescence, branched and congested
Small to medium sized but showy Rosid-type flowers in 5s; nectary disk present; some zygomorphy
Fruit is papery or leathery capsule w/ large seeds OR fleshy fruit with dark arillate seeds OR a samara
Many are toxic, especially seeds; compounds found in this family lather and have been used as detergents
Sapindaceae: soapberry family; maples and buckeyes
All woody; small trees, clonal shrubs, climbing/scrambling vines
Resinous; resin turns dark in air; causes allergic reaction in sensitive people
1-pinnate or trifoliate compound leaves
Drab 5-parted Rosid flowers with nectary disk; stamens inserted in nectary disk
Fruit usually a loose or tight cluster of drupes ranging in size from large to small
Anacardiaceae: sumacs, poison-ivy, cashews
Tropical trees; temperate herbs and shrubs
Leaves typically palmately constructed (venation, lobing, a few compound); stipulate; margins usually serrate; most with tufts of stellate hairs
Showy Rosid flowers (5s); petals overlapping; numerous prominently exserted stamens; stamens often in bundles or fused in a central column
Fruit is typically a capsule or schizocarp with carpels that completely separate into follicles
Malvaceae: mallow family, hibiscus
Small trees/shrubs; tropical and other frost-free habitats
Most leaves opposite (Eucalyptus is alternate); translucent glands when leaf is held up to light
Rosid flowers with perianth in 4s or 5s; flowers have hypanthium; inferior ovary (unusual in Rosids); stamens usually numerous (powderpuff)
Fruit an edible berry or capsule
Often shreddy and colorful bark
Myrtaceae: eucalyptus, myrtle
Temperate family of herbs, many weedy
Basal rosette of divided, compound, lobed or toothed leaves; cauline leaves usually smaller than basal leaves and clasping
Inflorescence a raceme or corymb
Rosid-type flowers but with perianth in 4s
4 + 2 stamens: six total stamens, 4 long and 2 short
2-carpellate compound pistil forms a needle-like silique or flattened silicle
Foliage has an acrid sharp taste like radish
Brassicaceae: mustard family
Mostly tropical trees/shrubs/herbs, many temperate herbs
Often bristly or rough-textured
Leaves alternate simple entire OR lobed and toothed
Inflorescence usually 1-sided helicoid cyme (scorpion tail)
Perianth organized in 5s; small, showy; corolla often rotate or funnelform with exserted stamens
Fruit 4 small nutlets or a capsule
Boraginaceae: forget-me-not, borage
Mid-latitude to boreal; All woody, small trees and shrubs; Inhabit acidic nutrient-poor habitats with help from mycorrhizal fungi
Leaves simple, mostly alternate
Perianths in 5s; Sympetalous and very showy campanulate, salverform, or funnelform corollas OR urceolate corolla pointed downward; Usually white, some pink
Urceolate corolla varieties could have inferior or superior ovaries; stamens emerge from the flower receptacle; In urceolate flowers the stamens are S-curved with pores that release pollen when vibrated by insects as they enter the flower
Fruit a 5-parted capsule OR a berry
Ericaceae: heath, rhododendron, mt. laurel
Small family of temperate to arctic herbs or small shrubs
Leaves mostly opposite and simple and entire, but named genus has alternate compound leaves
Perianth organized in 5s; sympetalous; salverform or campanulate-funnelform
Fruit a loculicidal capsule, usually 3-carpel, superior ovary
Often ill-scented
Polemoniaceae: Phlox
Large herbaceous family especially diverse in Mediterranean region
Stems 4-angled (square)
Many are aromatic and used as culinary herbs
Leaves simple, opposite, and usually serrate, dentate, or crenate
Inflorescence often a congested head or raceme, many subtended by an involucre
Flowers with zygomorphic bilabiate corolla (some may be missing top lip)
2 or 4 stamens, usually arching beneath upper lip, often exserted
Fruit 4 nutlets contained in calyx cup
Lamiaceae: mint family
Traditional family since broken up into several smaller families; mostly temperate herbs with a few woody shrubs
Plants never aromatic; darken when dried
Some genera are root hemiparasites or full parasites lacking chlorophyll
Most have simple opposite leaves and many genera have 4-angled stems
Variable inflorescence often a raceme, spike, or paired axillary flowers
Flower zygomorphic bilabiate and very variable (a few nearly actinomorphic)
2 or 4 stamens, some with staminodes (sterile stamens)
Fruit an ovate 2-carpellate capsule with axile placentation and many seeds
Scrophulariaceae complex: figwort, foxglove, snapdragon
Largest Eudicot family 20k + species; mostly herbaceous and most diverse in temperate regions; open and disturbed areas
Leaves extremely variable and not easily generalized
Inflorescence a head subtended by an involucre of phyllaries (bract leaves); Entire unit mimics a single flower and forms a compound inflorescence (spike of heads, raceme of heads)
Disk flowers very small with actinomorphic, tubular corolla (5N); fertile and bisexual with 5 stamens joined by their anthers into a cylinder
Ray flowers zygomorphic with one petal long and extended; either neutered or pistillate
Ligulate flowers zygomorphic with all 5 corolla lobes fused and extended, bisexual
Discoid heads possess only discoid flowers; radiate heads possess central discoid flowers and perimeter ray flowers; ligulate heads possess only ligulate flowers
All have inferior ovary with 2-carpels, 2 style branches
Calyx of all flowers is highly modified into a pappus - usually hairy bristles, some barbed
Very specialized pollen presentation: anthers release pollen into center space, pistil grows up through the space to place pollen on top of the style branches to be picked up by insects
Fruit is 1-seeded achene with pappus attached for wind dispersal
Asteraceae: aster family
Large family of temperate herbs
Many aromatic with oil cells, used in cooking; others are deadly poisonous
Leaves usually pinnately/bipinnately/ternately compound with small/narrow-toothed leaflets; petioles sheath the stem like a monocot
Inflorescence usually a compound umbel
Flowers small and polypetalous; perianth in 5s; often with reflexed or upturned petals; corolla usually white or yellow
Ovary 2-carpellate and inferior; swollen nectary at top of pistil at base of the style; fruit a schizocarp with the 2 sections often being ribbed, bristly, and/or winged
Apiaceae: carrot, parsley
Large important family mostly tropical small trees, shrubs, climbers, herbs; ours are weedy herbs
Leaves alternate, simple, usually deep green color, wavy to irregular lobed margins
Inflorescence few-flowered or solitary
Flowers 5N; showy, funnelform rotate corolla with reflexed lobes OR salverform; In named genus bright yellow anthers are exserted and form a cone
Ovary superior and usually 2-carpellate
Fruit usually tomato-like or eggplant-like many seeded berry with a skin
Solanaceae: night shades
Mostly tropical small trees and shrubs; a few temperate herbs and ground covers
Exude runny white latex
Most leaves opposite, simple, entire
Flowers in umbels, solitary, or pairs
Flowers 5N, corolla salverform or campanulate, petals twisted in the bud often resulting in an obvious twist/turn in the full flower corolla
Pistil possesses large stigma (piston-like) and two carpels barely joined at their tops - ovaries are separate
Fruit is a schizocarp, units generally follicles
Apocynaceae: dogbane and milkweed
4th largest angiosperm family; mostly tropical small trees, shrubs, lianas; temperate herbs + 1 shrub
Leaves opposite (sometimes whorled), simple, entire, stipules between petioles
Inflorescence often a corymb or umbel; some surrounded by colorful bracts
Small flowers 4N or infrequently 5N; corolla salverform to rotate; inferior ovary; corolla often white
Fruit either a colorful (often red) berry or capsule
Rubiaceae: coffee family, bedstraws
Cosmopolitan, diverse in hot dry environments; some tolerant of salinity; many troublesome weeds
Unusual secondary growth (forms new vascular cambia); betalain maroon pigments; C4 photosynthesis; coiled “snail shell” seeds
Inflorescence many-flowered and very congested; perianth with 1 whorl of tepals; nectaries and colorful betalain-colored bracts on insect-pollinated varieties
Perianth often persists and encloses the fruit
Amaranthaceae: amaranths, chenopods, goosefoots, saltbushes
North temperate herbs ranging into arctic, also in tropical mountains; in our flora in open woodlands and prairies, many weeds
Opposite, simple, entire margined leaves with swollen nodes
Flowers usually white or pink (a few bright red); some have tubular calyx of united sepals, ribbed and often glandular; Petals are often notched or fringed
Fruit is a capsule opening from the top
Lack distinctive features of other families in their order, but retain coiled “snail shell” seeds
Caryophyllaceae: pink, carnation
Diverse and prominent in North American deserts, Mexico, South America
Leafless stem succulents; thick cuticle; recessed stomata
Armed with clusters (not pairs!) of spines
Flowers very showy; often solitary; numerous perianth parts; some colored red or pink with betalains
Anomalous secondary growth (new vascular cambium growth); CAM photosynthesis
Cactaceae: cactus
Describe the pollen presentation strategy used by plants in the Asteraceae family
Describe the fig pollination strategy and symbiosis with wasps.
Describe the 2 Apocynaceae pollination strategies (dogbane and milkweed)
Summarize some of the varied adaptations in orchids to accommodate different pollination strategies
Explain these cladistics terms:
Uninformative character
Derived character
Reversal
Convergence
Monophyletic vs. Paraphyletic
Apomorphy
Synapomorphy
Plesiomorphy
Uninformative character - shared by all members of the group OR possessed by only a single member, so can’t be used to infer relationships
Reversal - when an ancestor possessed a derived character state, but the trait evolved “back” to the primitive condition
Derived character - trait that arose in the most recent common ancestor of a particular lineage and was passed along to its descendants (apomorphy)
Convergence - evolution of a similar character state between taxa that are not closely related
Parallel evolution - more closely related taxa evolve similar characteristics simultaneously in a similar ecospace, obviously the result of shared genetics
Monophyletic vs. Paraphyletic: monophyletic is a taxon that consists of a most recent common ancestor and all of its descendants (CLADE). Paraphyletic is a taxon that consists of a MRCA and some of its descendants (NOT A CLADE).
Apomorphy - novel character state that has evolved from its ancestral form, a derived trait
Synapomorphy - apomorphy that is shared by two or more taxa and is hypothesized to have evolved in the MRCA
Plesiomorphy - a primitive or ancestral trait
