Plant Taxonomy: Plant Families

Lycopodiaceae (club moss family

Herbs with creeping stems

Single-veined leaves

Club-like strobili

Not a moss

Pteridaceae (maidenhair fern family)

Ferns with sori along the edges of the pinna

Often have false indusia

Dryopteridaceae (wood fern family)

Monomorphic ferns with mostly pinnate fronds

Kidney-shaped true indusia

Pinaceae (pine family)

Evergreen trees

Neddle-like leaves

Woody cones

Iridaceae (iris family)

Herbs with rhizomes or corms

Flat, linear leaves

Flower parts in threes

Fruits are capsules

Araceae (arum family)

Herbs with sheathing leaves with entire margins

Spathe and spadix inflorescence

Orchidaceae (orchid family)

Herbs that rely on mutualistic fungi

Flowers with modified lip petals and columns

Asteraceae (aster family)

Herbs with capitulum inflorescences

Achene fruits

Brassicaceae (mustard family)

Four-petaled flowers with tetradynamous stamens

Silicle or silique fruits

Caryophyllaceae (pink family)

Stems with swollen joints

Flowers with 4-5 notched petals that fuse into a tube

Fabaceae (legume family)

Root nodules with nitrogen fixing bacteria

Pinnate leaves

Fruits are legumes (simple, dry fruits with two lines of dehiscence)

Lamiaceae (mint family)

Square stems

Opposite leaves with aromatic oils

Zygomorphic flowers with four stamens and one pistil

Rosaceae (rose family)

Trees, herbs, and shrubs with alternate, stipulate leaves

Perfect, actinomorphic flowers with a hypanthium

Solanaceae (nightshade family)

Herbs, shrubs, and veins with alternate leaves

Cymose inflorescences of perfect flowers with five partially fused petals and connivent anthers