Plant Families Flashcards by Eli Polzer

Amaranthaceae

Habit: herbs or shrubs (rarely trees or vines), often reddish, many halophytes

Stems: often succulent and/or jointed

Leaves: alternate, simple (A)

Stipules: none

Flowers: small, actinomorphic (B)

Sepals: usually 3-5, free or fused basally, surrounding the fruit (C)

Petals: absent

Stamens: as many as sepals, positioned on the inside of each sepal

Ovary: superior or half-inferior, 1-3 fused carpels, one locule and one ovule, basal placentation

Fruit: berry, capsule, or nutlet

Seeds: strongly curved (D)

Note: Chenopodiaceae is now included in Amaranthaceae

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Amaryllidaceae

Habit: biennial or perennial herbs (monocots) with bulb (A) at base

Leaves: simple, narrow leaves in basal rosette (B), often only in two directions (2-ranked)

Inflorescence: terminal umbel (C), sometimes with bulblets on a leafless stem

Tepals: 6, anthers 6

Hypanthium: (fused tepals and base of stamens) often present (not in Allium)

Ovary: superior (D) or inferior, 3-carpellate

Fruit: capsule

Seeds: many, hard, black (covered with phytomelans)

Note: Onion-like smell in Allium

Note: Alliaceae is now included in Amaryllidaceae

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Anacardiaceae

Habit: trees, shrub, lianas, or perennial herbs

Unique characters: resin ducts and laticifers (sap often toxic)

Leaves: often pinnately compound (A)

Flower: 5-merous, small, with nectary disc (B)

Stamens: 5 or 10 (B)

Ovule: onle per carpel, 1-5 carpels in a fruit

Fruit: drupe

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Apiaceae

Habit: herbaceous

Unique characters: aromatic, some very poisonous (oils, resins)

Stems: hollow (A)

Leaves: alternate, often dissected or lobed (B), pinnate venation

Petiole: broadened with sheath (C) surrounding
stem or base of leaf

Flowers: arranged in double umbels (D); small, white or yellow, many

Petals: 5, not fused, sepals reduced or absent

Fruit: dry fruit that divides into 2 parts (E, schizocarp)

Note: Apiaceae sometimes includes Araliaceae.

Note: The characters listed here only work well for the temperate herbaceous Apiaceae.

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Apocynaceae

Leaves: opposite, simple (A), pinnate venation

Leaf margin: smooth (A)

Stipules: absent (A)

Unique characters: Latex (milky sap) in all branches and leaves

Sepals: 5

Petals: 5, sometimes fused

Ovary: superior

Anthers: often fused, and sometimes fused with style head to a gynostegium (B), pollen in pollinia (C) in some species

Fruit: usually with 2 separate carpels, developing into 1-2 dry capsular parts or berries

Seeds: often with tufts of hairs at one end (D)

Note: Asclepiadaceae is now included in Apocynaceae.

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Araceae

Habit: shrubs, vines, or herbs, sometimes aquatic; often fleshy

Unique characters: Rhizomes (A), corms, tubers common

Leaves: simple, with reticulate or parallel venation (B)

Inflorescence: terminal spadix of tiny flowers, subtended by a colored leaf/bract (spathe) (C)

Flowers: sometimes unisexual, highly reduced, sessile (D)

Fruits: usually berries (E)

Note: Lemnaceae is now included in the Araceae.

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Asteraceae

Habit: herbaceous (usually)

Leaves: variable, with pinnate venation

Inflorescence: a head (capitulum, A) with many flowers,
with involucral bracts surrounding it (B)

Flowers: small, either tubular (C) or tongue-shaped (ligulate)

Sepals: absent

Petals: fused, usually with 5 small lobes (C)

Anthers: fused into a ring around style

Ovary: inferior

Fruit: dry nut (achene, D), often with hairs on top (pappus)

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Betulaceae

Habit: Trees or shrubs

Leaves: simple, spiral (A)

Leaf margin: with teeth (A)

*Inflorescence:** unisexual; male: hanging catkin (B),
female: short upright catkin (C)

Flowers: wind-pollinated, unisexual

Petals: absent

Styles: 2 or 3

**Fruit:** nut or 2-winged samara (D), surrounded by
leafy bracts (E)

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Boraginaceae

Habit: Herbs with stiff hairs

Leaves: alternate, simple

Inflorescence: a scorpioid or helicoid cyme (A)

Flowers: sympetalous, actinomorphic, 5-merous

Corolla: often pink as young, then blue or purple (B)

Anthers: attached to corolla (C)

Ovary: superior, 2-carpellate, 4 locules

Style: 1, attached to base of ovary, in center (D)

Fruit: schizocarp with 4 nutlets (E)

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Brassicaceae

*Habit:** Herbaceous
*Unique characters:** mustard oils

Leaves: simple, alternate (A), often lobed, with pinnate venation

Leaf margins: often dentate (A) or lobed

Inflorescence: raceme

Petals: 4, not fused, forming a cross + from above (B),
white, yellow, or pink

Stamens: 6 (4 longer, 2 shorter)

Fruit: dry capsule with inner wall (silique; C)

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Campanulaceae

Habit: Herbs, rarely shrubs or trees

Unique characters: latex

Leaves: usually alternate, simple (rarely compound), without stipules (A)

Petals: fused; 5

Corollas: either bellshaped (B) or two-lipped or tubular (C)

Ovary: inferior, with 2-5 carpels, axile placentation

Unique characters: with secondary pollen presentation, with pollen deposited on the outside of the style, or similarly (D)

Fruit: berry or capsule

Note: Lobeliaceae is included in Campanulaceae.

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Caprifoliaceae

Habit: woody vines or shrubs, some herbaceous herbs

Leaves: opposite (A), rarely whorled, simple or divided

Flowers: arranged in a cyme, a head, or solitary

Corolla: fused, 5 petal lobes, often zygomorphic

Ovary: inferior

Fruit: berry or capsule

Note: Caprifoliaceae includes the following families now- Dipsacaceae, Valerianaceae.

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Caryophyllaceae

Habit: herbaceous

Leaves: opposite (A), simple, with pinnate venation

Leaf margins: smooth

Stems: often with thickened nodes (A) at base of each leaf pair

Sepals: 5, fused (B)

Petals: 5, not fused

Fruit: dry capsule opening at top (C)

Seeds: attached to central column inside capsule; many, black, often strongly curved (D)

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Convolvulaceae

Habit: herbaceous vines (usually), or woody vines, trees, or herbs

Unique characters: branches twining clockwise

Leaves: alternate, simple or divided

Flowers: often solitary, mostly 5-merous

Corolla buds: twisted (A)

Corollas: large, fused petals, trumpet- or funnelshaped, with 5 folds (B)

Ovary: superior (C )

Fruit: usually a capsule, less often a berry, nut, or drupe

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Cucurbitaceae

Habit: vines

Unique characters: one tendril per node (A)

Leaves: simple, alternate, palmately veined, often lobed, no stipules (B)

Inflorescence: axillary, solitary flowers common

Flowers: unisexual (rarely not), with hypanthium (C)

Petals: fused or absent, 5

Anthers: 5

Ovary: inferior, 3 carpels, parietal placentation (D)

Fruit: berry or pepo (or capsule or samara)

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Cupressaceae

Habit: Trees or shrubs

Unique characters: bark peels off in strips; branches often flattened in appearance (A)

Leaves: evergreen, scale-like (B)

Cones: unisexual, with few cone scales (C)

Female cones: sometimes berry-like, leathery (C)

Note: Taxodiaceae is now included in Cupressaceae

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Cyperaceae

Habit: Herbaceous monocot

Stems: often as rhizomes (A) and upright culms (B); often 3-sided, without nodes, solid (not hollow)

Leaves: linear, grass-like, with parallel veins, arranged
at 3 angles (tristichous), sheathing at base

Inflorescence: often divided into male and female parts (C), as spikelets (D) on terminal branches

Flowers: small, unisexual, sitting behind a bract (E)

Sepals and petals: absent (rarely present)

Anthers: 3, hanging free

Ovary: superior, often inside a bottle-shaped structure (perigynium, F)

Fruit: a small, 1-seeded nut (achene)

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Ericaceae

Habit: shrubs or small trees, sometimes herbs (some species mycotrophic and without chlorophyll)

Leaves: simple, without stipules; often leathery and evergreen

Flowers: actinomorphic (rarely bilateral), often hanging (A)

Petals: 5 (rarely 0-7), fused

Stamens: in two whorls, 5+5 (rarely less), attached to petals

Anthers: inverted (bent upside down during development), often with pores as openings (B)

Unique characters: with nectary disk inside stamens.

Ovary: superior or inferior, usually with 5 carpels

Style: single

Fruit: capsule, berry, or drupe

Note: includes Monotropaceae and Pyrolaceae

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Euphorbiaceae

Habit: herbs, shrubs, trees or vines

Unique character: with (usually white) latex

Stems: often succulent and fleshy (A)

Leaves: simple, two stipules often present (sometimes as two spines below each leaf, A)

Inflorescence: cyme or cyathium (B)

Flowers: unisexual, 5-merous (B); sometimes highly reduced without sepals and petals

Unique character: nectaries common

Ovary: superior, 3 carpels

Fruit: schizocarp, capsule, or drupe

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Fabaceae

Habit: mostly herbaceous, some trees
and shrubs

Leaves: alternate, compound (A, with many small leaflets), sometimes with tendrils

Stipules: at base of each leaf (variable in size)

Corolla: of ‘butterfly-type’ (B), bilateral with 5 parts:
banner/standard, wings, keel (hidden between wings)

Style: hidden inside keel

Stamens: 10, 9 often fused, hidden inside keel

Fruit: bean (legume, C), dry capsule without inner dividing walls, and with seeds attached to one side

Seeds: split in 2, nutrients stored in dicotyledons inside seed

Note: The flower characters work only for subfamily Faboideae

Fagaceae

Habit: trees

Leaves: simple, usually alternate, often lobed (A)

Inflorescences: unisexual with male catkins or heads (B), and a few female flowers inside wooden bracts (cupule) at the base of the male inflorescence (C)

Bracts: woody

Flowers: unisexual, tiny, often highly reduced; wind-pollinated

Fruit: nut (acorn in oaks), surrounded by the cupule (D)

Geraniaceae

Habit: herbs

Unique character: often with aromatic oil glands and hairs, fragrant

Leaves: simple or compound, usually palmately veined
and lobed, alternate (A)

Stipules: common

Inflorescence: cyme, umbel, or flowers single

Flowers: actinomorphic or zygomorphic

Petals: 5, free (B)

**Stamens:** 10, in two whorls, fused at base into a ring,
staminodes common (C)

Ovary: superior, usually 5 fused carpels, styles 5 (C)

Style: growing longer and firmer in fruit (D)

Fruit: capsule or schizocarp (E)

Iridaceae

Habit: herbs or shrubs

Unique character: rhizomes, corms, and bulbs common

Leaves: sometimes unifacial, or simple and linear-narrow, often sheathing at base, parallel-veined (A)

Inflorescence: terminal, spike, cluster or solitary flowers, often with bracts below (B)

Tepals: 3+3, sometimes of different sizes

Stamens: 3

Ovary: inferior, 3 fused carpels, 3 locules, placentation axile (C)

Style: often petal-like

Fruit: capsule

Juglandaceae

Habit: trees, deciduous

Leaves: alternate, pinnately compound (A), no stipules,
aromatic when crushed

Inflorescences: unisexual

Male catkins: long, hanging (B)

Female flowers: solitary or small groups

Flowers: reduced, no sepals or tepals; wind-pollinated

Fruits: drupe-like, but is a nut enclosed in fleshy or hard involucres (husks), sometimes these fall off (C)

**Juncaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, often with rhizomes (A) and perennial **Stems:** sometimes round, hollow, or triangular, similar to leaves **Leaves:** simple, grass-like and slender, parallel-veined, alternate, sheathing around stem (B), often tristichous (arranged in 3 rows) **Inflorescences:** cymes or heads **Flowers:** small, rather reduced, actinomorphic **Tepals:** 6, not fused, brownish with thin margins (C) **Stamens:** 6 **Ovary:** superior, 3 fused carpels **Style:** 3-branched **Fruit:** capsule, usually brown

**Lamiaceae**

**Habit:** herbaceous (some woody in the tropics) **Unique character:** aromatic, with essential oils, often hairy with glands in or on leaves or glandular hairs **Leaves:** opposite, simple (A), arranged at 180 degrees angle to each other (looks like cross from above) **Stipules:** absent (A) **Stems:** usually quadrangular ``` **Flowers:** in groups (verticillasters) in leaf axils or in terminal spikes (B) ``` **Sepals:** fused, 5 (C) **Corolla:** 2-lipped (D) **Stamens:** 2 or 4 (E) **Fruits:** 4 nutlets hidden inside calyx

**Lauraceae**

**Habit:** trees and shrubs **Unique character:** with aromatic oil glands, leaves often punctate **Leaves:** simple, evergreen, alternate, rarely lobed **Stipules:** absent **Inflorescence:** axillary, cyme, or solitary flowers (A) **Flowers:** small, actinomorphic, with hypanthium **Tepals:** 3+3, free **Stamens:** 3-12, some as staminodes **Anthers:** opens with 2 or 4 valves popping open (B) **Ovary:** 1-carpellate, usually superior **Fruit:** berry or drupe

**Liliaceae**

**Habit:** perennial herbs **Unique character:** bulbs or rhizomes (A) **Unique character:** does not smell like onion **Leaves:** alternate (rarely whorled), often basal, sheathing at base, parallel-veined (B) **Inflorescence:** terminal, raceme, or solitary flower **Tepals:** 6, free (C), often spotted or striped, with nectaries at base **Stamens:** 6, free **Ovary:** superior, 3-carpellate, 3 locules (D), axile placentation **Style:** single, stigma 3 **Fruit:** capsule **Seeds:** flattened, ellipsoid to rounded

**Magnoliaceae**

**Habits:** trees and shrubs **Leaves:** simple, alternate (A), with deciduous stipules around the buds in spring **Flowers:** terminal, solitary, large (B) **Tepals:** many ( rarely few), whorled or spirally arranged **Anthers:** many (C) **Ovaries:** many, apocarpous, on elongated structure in center of flower **Fruit:** aggregate of berries, follicles, or samaras

**Malvaceae**

**Habit:** herbs (shrubs or trees) **Unique character:** stellate or peltate hairs (star-shaped or stalked scales) **Leaves:** alternate, simple or palmately compound (A), with palmate venation (rarely pinnate); with stipules that fall off early **Flowers:** actinomorphic, 5-merous, often with an epicalyx (extra calyx outside normal calyx; B) **Petals:** free, 5 (C), often convolute in bud **Stamens:** 5-many, often fused in a tube around the style or as separate bundles **Ovary:** usually superior, 2-many carpels **Fruit:** usually a capsule or a wheel-shaped schizocarp (D) **Note:** This family now includes the tree family Tiliaceae. The characters listed here works best for temperate herbaceous Malvaceae.

**Moraceae**

**Habit:** trees, shrubs, or herbs; monoecious or dioecious **Unique character:** often with latex (milky sap) **Leaves:** simple, with stipules (A) **Inflorescence:** axillary (head, catkin (B), spike, raceme, or flattened or urn-shaped receptacle) **Flowers:** unisexual, very small (C) **Sepals:** 0-10, fused at least at base **Petals:** absent (D) **Stamens:** 1-6 **Styles:** 2 (D) **Fruit:** multiple of many 1-seeded achenes (nutlets; E), sometimes in/on a fleshy perianth or receptacle

**Oleaceae**

**Habit:** trees and shrubs (vines) **Unique character:** no latex **Leaves:** opposite, simple or compound, no stipules (A) **Inflorescence:** panicle or raceme (B) **Flowers:** actinomorphic **Sepals** and **petals:** 4, fused (C) (reduced in wind-pollinated species) **Stamens:** 2 (C) **Ovary:** 2-carpellate, superior, 2 ovules in each locule **Fruit:** drupe, berry (D), capsule, or samara

**Orchidaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, terrestrial or epiphytes **Unique character:** tubers, corms and rhizomes common (A) **Unique character:** epiphytic species with air roots (with white velamen) **Leaves:** alternate or whorled, often sheathing at base, simple, with parallel venation (B) **Inflorescence:** raceme, spike, or solitary flower **Flowers:** zygomorphic (C) **Tepals:** 3+3, free, lower tepal, often enlarged into a lower lip (labellum, C), some with spurs or sacs **Stamen:** 1, fused with style and stigma into a gynostegium/column **Ovary:** inferior, 3-carpellate, inside 180 degree twisted flower stalk (resupinate) **Fruit:** capsule, with many dust-sized seeds

**Orobanchaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, rarely shrubs **Unique character:** fully or partial root parasites on other plants, sometimes without chlorophyll (then white, brown, purple, red or pink) **Unique character:** root system small (A) or haustoria **Leaves:** opposite or alternate, simple, sometimes scale-like **Inflorescences:** often with colored bracts (B), as racemes, spikes (B) or solitary flowers **Petals:** 5, fused, 2-lipped (3 lobes on lower lip (C) **Stamens:** 4, 2 long and 2 short **Ovary:** superior, 2-carpellate **Fruit:** capsule (D), 1-locular, with many tiny seeds **Note:** Several genera have recently been moved from Scrophulariaceae into Orobanchaceae

**Oxalidaceae**

**Phyrmaceae**

**Pinaceae**

**Habit:** trees (rarely shrubs); monoecious **Unique character:** bark not falling off in long strips **Unique character:** resinous, fragrant **Leaves:** linear needles, sometimes flattened, 1-10 in fascicles on branches, spirally arranged (A) **Male cones:** smaller (B), fall off after releasing pollen, wind-pollinated **Female cones:** large, with woody and spirally arranged cone scales (C), maturing over several years, each scale with 2 winged seeds (D)

**Plantaginaceae**

**Habit:** herbaceous (rarely shrubs) **Unique character:** hairy plants, often aromatic **Leaves:** alternate or opposite **Flowers:** bilateral (A, often 2-lipped) **Stamens:** 4, 2+2 together (A) **Ovary:** superior (B) **Fruit:** dry capsule (B) **Seeds:** attached to center of fruit (axile placentation); numerous **Note:** many species previously belonged to Scrophulariaceae

**Poaceae**

**Habit:** herbaceous, seldom woody **Stems:** often rhizomatous and/or with erect culms (A, shoots); round, hollow, with nodes (B) **Leaves:** linear, with parallel venation, sheathing, with ligule at top of sheath **Inflorescences:** with terminal and axillary spikelets (C), subtended by bracts (glumes) **Flowers:** lacking sepals and petals **Spike (awn):** often present on bracts **Stamens:** 3, hidden inside bracts (D) (called palea and lemma) **Ovary:** hidden inside palea and lemma **Style:** often branched and plumose (feather-like) **Unique character:** when flowering, styles and anthers hanging out from spikelets **Fruit:** one-seeded nut (caryopsis)

**Polygonaceae**

**Habit:** herbs or shrubs, sometimes vines or trees **Stems:** with swollen nodes **Leaves:** alternate, simple (A), often with stipular sheath surrounding the stem at base of leaf (ocrea, B) **Inflorescences:** in fascicles arranged in spikes or racemes (C) **Flowers:** small, often pinkish or greenish (D) **Tepals:** 3+3 or 5, fused at base (D) **Stamens:** often with nectaries at their base **Ovary:** superior **Fruit:** 3-sided achene or nutlet with a single seed (E)

**Ranunculaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, lianas or shrubs **Leaves:** alternate, simple or compound (A), often lobed or dissected, with or without stipules **Inflorescence:** a cyme or flowers single **Flowers:** with spirally arranged parts (B) **Sepals:** often petal-like, free **Petals:** free, few to many, often with nectaries (C) on inside base and/or spurred **Stamens:** many (B) **Gynoecium:** with few-many carpels, separate (apocarpous), superior (B) **Fruit:** follicle, achene (D) or berry (often aggregated from several carpels); carpels, separate (apocarpous), superior (B)

**Rhamnaceae**

**Rosaceae**

**Habit:** herbaceous or woody, often shrubs or trees **Stipules:** (A) at base of each leaf **Sepals:** 5, petals 5 (B), free **Hypanthium:** (C, cup-like structure composed from the fused petal, sepal, and stamen bases) **Stamens:** usually numerous (D) **Fruit:** type variable, often pome (apple-like), drupelets (blackberry-like), drupe (stone fruit), dry capsules, or dry nutlets

**Rubiaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, shrubs, or trees **Leaves:** opposite, simple with entire margin (A); with interpetiolar stipules (or stipules leaf-like to resemble whorled leaves, B) **Inflorescence:** cymose, or flowers solitary **Flowers:** actinomorphic (C) **Sepals:** (0)4-5, fused at base **Petals:** 4-5, fused, corolla often trumpetshaped **Stamens:** 4-5, inserted into corolla wall, as many as petals **Ovary:** inferior, usually 2-carpellate, placentation axile (D) **Fruit:** capsule, drupe, berry, or schizocarp, sometimes aggregate

**Rutaceae**

**Habit:** trees, shrubs, lianas (herbs), sometimes with thorns **Leaves:** alternate, simple or compound, no stipules **Unique character:** leaves often with oil glands as small dots inside leaves (fragrant) **Flowers:** actinomorphic (A) **Sepals:** 4-5, free or fused **Petals:** 4-5, free or fused **Stamens:** 8-many, often in groups, sometimes fused (C) **Ovary:** superior, 4-many fused carpels, axile placentation (D) **Fruit:** berry, drupe, schizocarp, or hesperidium (D, juicy part is swollen hairs); fruit wall often with oil glands

**Salicaceae**

**Habit:** trees or shrubs, dioecious **Leaves:** deciduous, simple, alternate (A); with or without stipules **Inflorescences:** as unisexual catkins (B) **Sepals** and **petals:** absent (C) **Unique character:** each flower with a bract below (C) **Unique character:** each flower with nectaries **Ovary:** from 2 fused carpels, style very short (D) **Fruit:** capsule with many seeds (E) **Seeds:** with long hairs (F) (wind-dispersed)

**Scrophulariaceae**

**Habit:** herbs, never parasitic **Stems:** not angular **Leaves:** alternate or opposite **Flowers:** usually at least slightly zygomorphic (rarely actinomorphic, A) **Sepals:** 5, fused at base **Petals:** 5, fused at least at base (B) **Stamens:** 2 or 4 (rarely 5), inserted into corolla tube (B) **Ovary:** superior, 2 fused carpels **Fruit:** capsule with many seeds

**Solanaceae**

**Habit:** herbaceous in temperate areas, often woody in tropics **Leaves:** alternate (A), often lobed, often hairy, sometimes with prickles **Stipules:** absent (A) **Sepals:** 5, fused **Petals:** 5, fused a little or a lot **Corolla:** star-, trumpet-, or funnel-shaped or tubular **Ovary:** superior (B) **Anthers:** often fused, porate (C) (peppershaker-type) **Fruit:** berry (D), drupe, or capsule **Seeds:** many, attached to center of fruit (axile placentation, E)

**Vitaceae**

**Habit:** most often lianas, sometimes herbs or trees **Tendrils:** opposite leaves (A) **Leaves:** simple, palmate, sometimes divided or pinnate **Inflorescence:** opposite a leaf on the stem **Flowers:** small, 4-5 merous (B), with free sepals, free petals (fused on top in *Vitis*) **Fruit:** berry (C)