Sys Botany - Unit 2 redux

Bryophyta (Mosses)

Phylum. Gametophyte leafy, with phyllids with or without costa. Sporophyte an ephemeral stalked capsule attached to the gametophyte

Marchantiophyta (Liverworts)

Phylum. Gametophyte leafy or thalloid. Sporophyte an ephemeral capsule attached to a stalked archegoniophore on the gametophyte

Selaginellaceae (Spikemosses)

Lycophyte family. Herbs with dichotomously branching stems. Leaves simple microphylls, spirally arranged, feathery, and dimorphic. Heterosporous sporangia in strobili.

Lycopodiaceae (Clubmosses)

Lycophyte family. Herbs with rhizomes or stolons. Stems dichotomously branching. Leaves simple microphylls and thick. Homosporous sporangia in leaf axils or strobili.

Equisetaceae (Horsetails)

Monilophyte family. Herbs with rhizomes. Stems photosynthetic, ridged, and with sandpaper feel, the nodes swollen and jointed. Branches (if present) whorled and easily mistaken for leaves. True leaves reduced to papery structures sheathing nodes. Eusporangia clustered in strobili at the top of fertile shoot.

Psilotaceae (Whisk Ferns)

Monilophyte family. Herbs with rhizomes. Roots absent and functionally replaced by mycorrhizae. Stems dichotomously branching and photosynthetic. Leaves reduced or absent. Eusporangia fused into synangia.

Ophioglossaceae (Adder’s Tongue Ferns)

Monilophyte family. Herbs with rhizomes. Leaves compound, usually only one at a time per shoot and divided into sterile (vegetative) and fertile (spore-producing) segments. Eusporangia clustered on fertile leaf segments and often with the appearance of a rattlesnake tail.

Woodsiaceae (Cliff Ferns)

Family in Order Polypodiales. Terrestrial. Fronds deciduous, all alike. Sori separate, orbicular, indusiate.

Aspleniaceae (Spleenworts)

Family in Order Polypodiales. Terrestrial. Fronds evergreen, sometimes dimorphic. Sori separate, linear, indusiate.

Pteridaceae (Brake Ferns)

Family in Order Polypodiales. Terrestrial. Fronds deciduous or evergreen, sometimes dimorphic. Sori contiguous or separate, along leaf margins, covered by false indusium formed by rolled leaf edge.

Cycadales

Gymnosperm order. Tropical, evergreen, woody plants with palm-like appearance. Leaves pinnate compound, tough, and leathery. Pollen and seeds produced in a cone-like strobilus.

Ginkgoales

Gymnosperm order. Monophyletic. Deciduous tree. Leaves simple, fan-shaped, and with dichotomous venation. Seeds with fleshy integuments appearing like fruits.

Cupressaceae (Cypresses and Junipers) of Pinales

Gymnosperm family. Usually evergreen (rarely deciduous) shrubs or trees with linear, awl, and/or scale leaves in opposite arrangement. Dioecious. Female cone round and woody or fleshy, sometimes appearing like a berry, usually one ovule per scale.

Pinaceae (Pines) of Pinales

Gymnosperm family. Usually evergreen (rarely deciduous) trees with needle or linear leaves (clustered in fascicles in one genus). Monoecious. Female cone woody, with two ovules per scale. Seeds winged.

Cabombaceae (Fanwort Family) (leaves are called Cambomba)

Order Nymphaeales. Aquatic herbs with rhizomes. Floating leaves simple, peltate, abaxial surface mucilaginous. Submerged leaves palmately dissected. Flowers emergent, perfect, solitary, actinomorphic, apocarpous gyn, parietal placentation. Fruit indehiscent achenes or follicles.

Nymphaeaceae (Water Lilies) of Nymphaeales

Aquatic herbs with rhizomes. Leaves simple and floating. Flowers floating or emergent, solitary, perfect, with numerous parts, syncarpous gyn, parietal placentation. Fruit a spongy berry.

Aristolochiaceae (Birthworts)

Order Piperales. Herbs or lianas with rhizomes. Leaves simple, alternate with chordate or sagittate base. Flowers perfect and usually fly-pollinated. Fruit a capsule.

Lauraceae (Laurels) of Laurales

Deciduous small trees or shrubs. Leaves fragrant when damaged, simple, alternate. Flowers usually imperfect and lacking petals. Anthers open by valves or flaps. Ovary superior, unicarpous. Fruit a drupe or one-seeded berry.

Magnoliaceae (Magnolias) of Magnoliales

Evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs with alternate, simple leaves with a stipular ring scar encircling stems. Flowers perfect, with many tepals, stamens, and carpels distinct and spirally arranged. Fruit an aggregate of follicles.

Potamogetonaceae (Pondweeds)

Floating or submerged aquatic herbs. Stems jointed. Leaves submerged or floating, sheathing. Flowers emergent or submerged. Fruit achenes or drupes.

Araceae (Arums/Aroids)

Terrestrial, epiphytic, or aquatic herbs with rhizomes or corms. Spadix inflorescence enclosed in spathe. Perianth absent. Flowers usually fly pollinated. Fruit usually a berry. Aquatic members small and free-floating, with highly reduced structure.

Liliaceae (True Lilies) of Liliales

Herbaceous geophytes with bulbs. Flowers showy, tepals usually with spots and nectaries. Anthers extrorse (open outward) and centrifixed. Ovary superior. Fruit a loculicidal capsule

Smilaceae (Greenbriars)

Order Liliales. Herbs to “woody” vines, prickles, reticulate venation between major veins of leaves, twining tendrils often present. Umbel inflorescence. Fruit a berry.

Asparagaceae of Asparagales

Very diverse. Many herbaceous geophytes, some woody shrubs or trees. Leaves usually basal. Some with phylloclades and reduced leaves. Flowers showy, actinomorphic. Fruit a berry or capsule.

Orchidaceae (Orchids)

Order Asparagales. Terrestrial or epiphytic herbs. Leaves simple. Flowers showy and strongly zygomorphic or asymmetric, sometimes resupinate, sometimes mimicking female insect appearance. Anthers produce pollinia. Fruit a capsule with thousands of tiny seeds.

Iridaceae (Irises)

Order Asparagales. Herbaceous geophytes with rhizomes or bulbs. Leaves equitant. Inflorescence with spathe consisting of two bracts. Ovary inferior. Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Amaryllidaceae

Order Asparagales. Herbaceous geophytes with bulbs. Leaves basal. Inflorescence scapose, usually an umbel with spathe. Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Typhaceae (Cattails)

Order Poales. Emergent aquatic graminoid herbs. Leaves basal. Inflorescence a cylindrical spike with male flowers above female flowers.

Juncaceae (Rushes)

Order Poales. Emergent aquatic or wet terrestrial graminoid herbs. Culm solid and round in cross section. Leaves reduced to bladeless sheaths. Flowers with six tepals. Fruit a capsule.

Cyperaceae (Sedges)

Order Poales. Emergent aquatic or terrestrial graminoid herbs. Culm solid and triangular in cross section. Leaf with closed sheath. Inflorescence consists of spikelets. Fruit an achene.

Poaceae (Grass) of Poales

Angiosperm. Terrestrial graminoid herbs. Nodes swollen, culm usually hollow and round in cross section. Leaves sheathing, sometimes with ligules and auricles. Inflorescence consists of spikelets subtended by glumes. Flowers enclosed in bracts (lemma & palea, sometimes with awns), wind-pollinated. Fruit a caryopsis.

Arecaceae (Palms) of Arecales

Angiosperm family. Unbranched, evergreen, tropical trees or shrubs. Leaves coriaceous, plicate, simple or compound. Inflorescence a branching spadix with spathe. Fruit a drupe.

Commelinaceae (Spiderworts) of Commelinales

Angiosperm family. Annual or perennial, fleshy or slightly succulent herbs. Stems with swollen nodes. Leaves simple and sheathing. Flowers showy, solitary or in cymes, sometimes enclosed in bracts. Corolla actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, with 3 petals. Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Zingiberaceae (Gingers) of Zingiberales

Angiosperm family. Acaulescent herbs from rhizomes, emergent aquatics or terrestrial near water. Leaves basal, sheathing. Inflorescence scapose, a panicle of spikes with bracts. Flowers perfect and asymmetrical. Fruit a capsule.

Musaceae (Bananas)

Order Zingiberales. Large, tree-like herbs with pseudostems. Plants monoecious, with female flowers above male on a drooping Inflorescence with bracts. Fruit a berry.