Plant families Flashcards
Lamiaceae key features
Square stem
Leaves: Opposite, simple, aromatic
Flower: Bisexual and irregular
5 united petals - 2 lobes up, 3 lobes down
Sepals: 5 united sepals
Stamens: 4 - 2 long, 2 short
Ovary: superior, contains 2 united carpals
Flower matures into a seed capsule containing four nutlets
Asteraceae key features
Flower: Composites of many small flowers, a disc like flower head
It’s made up of dozens of tiny flowers called florets, each floret has 5 petals & 5 stamens that are fused into a tube with the style & stigma in the middle
Ray florets = look like petals
Disc florets = the centre
Sepals are actually bracts (modified leaves) which appear in multiple layers
Ovary: one in each floret, each one contains one seed that turns into a dry fruit called an achene
Leaves: Generally alternate, often basal rosette (like dandelion)
Brassicaceae key features
Flower: Clusters with white or yellow petals
4 Petals arranged in a distinct pattern like a cross
4 sepals that are alternate with the petals
6 Stamens
Ovary: Superior
Fruit: A capsule with 2 sections (seed pod) that splits open from both sides to expose a clear membrane in the middle
Leaves: Alternate or basal rosette
Apiaceae key features
Flowers: Compound umbels, regular
White, yellow, or pink tinged petals
5 Petals
5 Stamens
5 Sepals (small and sometimes unseeable)
Ovary: Inferior
Stems: usually hollow
Leaves: Mostly pinnate, compound, aromatic
Sheaths at the leaf bases
Rosaceae key features
Flowers: 5 Petals
5 Sepals
Many stamens (minimum 5)
Many carpals
Many styles
Has a HYPANTHIUM = Base at the flower, a structure which encloses the carpals
Most species have an EPICALYX = An extra set of sepals which makes it look like there are 10 sepals
Fruit: Fleshy
Leaves: Oval, Serrated, can be simple, pinnate or palmate compound
Fabaceae key features
Flowers: Varying across species
Commonly bisexual
5 petals & 5 fused sepals OR inflorescences eg. Trifolium OR papilionaceous (butterfly shape) - bilateral symmetry
Papilionaceous = Banner, 2 wings, 2 keel, calyx
Leaves: Alternate, compound with sometimes tendrils
Stipules at the base of each leaf
Geraniaceae key features
Flowers: Regular or bilateral symmetry
Petals - 5 free
Sepals - 5
Shape is single, cyme or umbel
Stamens - 10 (or multiples of 5)
Style - Longer and firmer in fruit, 5 in total
Ovary - Superior
5 fused carpals
Fruit: Capsule or schizocarp
Solanaceae key features
Flowers: Bisexual
5 United petals - star shaped (actinomorphic)
5 United sepals
5 Stamens
Ovary: Superior, 2 chambers
Leaves: Alternate, often fuzzy
Simple or opposite pinnate
Boraginaceae key features
Flowers: 5 Fused petals with stamens attached
5 Separate sepals
Bell shaped or funnel shaped
Symmetrical in more way than one
They grow in a coiled inflorescence called a scorpioid cyme
5 Stamens
Ovary: Superior, has 4 nutlets (these are the dried fruits)
Leaves: Simple, Altermate, Hairy
Amaryllidaceae key features
Perrenial plants
Bulbs
Flowers: Grouped in umbels, or sometimes solitary
6 Stamens
Ovary: Inferior or superior, it matures as a capsule with numerous seeds per chamber
Leaves: Juicy, tender (not fibrous)
