Systematic Botany - Final

Nelumbonaceae (Lotuses) of Proteales

Rooted aquatic herbs with rhizomes. Leaves and flowers floating or emergent. Flowers with many distinct parts, apocarpous, ovaries superior. Fruit an aggregate of nuts.

Platanaceae (Plane Trees) of Proteales

Deciduous trees. Stems with exfoliating bark, axillary buds hidden in base of petiole. Plants monoecious. Inflorescences a globose head. Fruit an aggregate of achenes.

Ranunculaceae (Buttercups) of Ranunculales

Terrestrial or emergent aquatic herbs. Leaves usually toothed or dissected. Flowers 5-merous, apocarpous, ovaries superior. Fruit an aggregate of achenes, follicles, or berries.

Groosulariaceae (Gooseberries) of Saxifragales

Deciduous shrubs, some with spines or prickles. Leaves lobed with palmate venation. Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, 5-merous. Fruit a berry.

Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) of Saxifragales

Glabrous herbs to subshrubs, usually succulent. Leaves fleshy and without apparent venation. Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, 4- or 5-merous, apocarpous. Fruit an aggregate of follicles.

Vitaceae (Grapes) of Vitales

Woody vines with tendrils. Leaves simple, alternate, palmate venation. Inflorescence cymose. Fruit a fleshy berry.

Euphorbiaceae (Spurges) of Malpighiales (has latex)

Mostly herbs, sometimes shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence a cyathium. Flowers imperfect, syncarpous gyn with 3 carpels. Fruit a schizocarp. Seeds with caruncle.

Fabaceae (Beans) of Fabales

Diverse group with mostly alternate compound leaves, pulvini, and legume fruits formed from a unicarpous superior ovary.

Rosaceae (Roses) of Rosales

Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves alternate and with paired stipules. Flowers with a hypanthium and 5 petals.

Moraceae (Mulberries) of Rosales

Trees or shrubs with milky latex. Leaves simple, alternate, with stipules. Fruit a multiple.

Fagaceae (Beeches) of Fagales

Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate and simple. Plants monoecious. Staminate flowers in catkins. Fruit a nut subtended by cupule.

Juglandaceae (Walnuts) of Fagales

Deciduous trees with solid or chambered stem pith. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnately compound. Staminate flowers in catkins. Fruit a nut or drupe enclosed in a husk.

Cucurbitaceae (Squashes) of Fagales

Creeping, hairy herbs with tendrils. Leaves alternate. Flowers imperfect. Fruit pepo.

Geraniaceae (Geraniums) of Geraniales

Herbs. Leaves simple or pinnately compound, margins lobed or pinnatifid, with stipules. Inflorescence a cyme. Flowers perfect, 5-merous. Fruit an elongated schizocarp.

Onagraceae (Evening Primroses) of Myrtales

Terrestrial, emergent, or floating aquatic herbs. Leaves simple and often forming a basal rosette. Flowers usually 4- merous, hypanthium present, syncarpous gyn., ovary inferior. Fruit usually a capsule.

Sapindaceae (Soapberries) of Sapindales

Deciduous trees, shrubs, or (rarely) lianas. Leaves usually opposite. Flowers with syncarpous gyn, stamens attached to a nectar disk. Fruit a capsule or schizocarp. Seeds with large hilum scar.

Anacardiaceae (Sumacs) of Sapindales

Deciduous trees, shrubs, or lianas with clear or colored resin that dries black. Leaves alternate, usually pinnately or palmately compound. Flowers actinomorphic, 5-merous, petals yellow or white. Fruit a drupe.

Brassicaceae (Mustards) of Brassicales

Herbs usually with basal rosette. Leaves usually alternate, margin lobed or toothed. Flowers 4-merous. Stamens usually tetradynamous or didynamous. Fruit a silicle or silique.

Malvaceae (Mallows) of Malvales (has viscous mucilage)

Trees, shrubs, or herbs. Leaves simple, alternate, with stipules. Flowers 5-merous, stamens monadelphous, sepals with epicalyx. Fruit usually a capsule.

Santalaceae (Sandalwoods) of Santalales

Hemiparasites with haustorial roots penetrating host. Leaves coriaceous, simple, usually opposite. Flowers actinomorphic, 3- or 4-merous. Fruit a drupe or berry.

Caryophyllaceae (Pinks) of Caryophyllales (petals pinked, with limb and claw structure)

Herbs with swollen nodes. Leaves opposite and simple. Flowers 5-merous, free-central placentation. Fruit a capsule.

Cactaceae (Cacti) of Caryophyllales

Succulent herbs or shrubs with photosynthetic stems, sometimes appearing as cladophylls. Leaves usually modified into spines arising from areoles. Flowers with many distinct parts. Fruit a berry.

Polygonaceae (Buckwheats) of Caryophyllales

Herbs or vines with swollen nodes. Leaves alternate and simple, with stipules forming ocrea. Flowers actinomorphic, with sepaloid or petaloid perianth and no petals. Fruit an angular achene.

Cornaceae (Dogwoods) of Cornales

Deciduous trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, with arcuate venation. Inflorescence a head or cyme, subtended by petaloid bracts in some species. Flowers usually 4-merous. Fruit a drupe.

Polemoniaceae (Phloxes) of Ericales

Herbs. Leaves usually simple and alternate or opposite. Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, corolla salverform or campanulate, stamens adnate to corolla, 5-merous but with 3 carpels. Fruit a loculicidal capsule.

Apocynaceae (Dogbanes/Milkweeds) of Gentianales

Herbs or vines with milky latex. Leaves simple, usually opposite. Flowers 5-merous, some with many fused parts and stamens producing pollinia. Fruit a follicle.

Rubiaceae (Madders) of Gentianales

Herbs or shrubs. Leaves opposite or whorled, with interpetiolar stipules. Flowers usually 4-merous, stamens adnate to corolla. Fruit a capsule, schizocarp, or berry.

Boraginaceae (Borages) of Boraginales

Herbs. Leaves simple, alternate. Inflorescence usually a helicoid cyme. Flowers 5-merous, ovary with 4 lobes, style gynobasic. Fruit a nutlet.

Lamiaceae (Mints) of Lamiales

Herbs or subshrubs with square stems. Leaves opposite, with aromatic glandular trichomes. Perianth 5-merous, corolla bilabiate, stamens often didynamous, ovary with 4 lobes, style gynobasic. Fruit a nutlet.

Plantaginaceae (Plantains/Snapdragons) of Lamiales

Herbs. Leaves alternate and basal or opposite. Flowers actinomorphic and wind-pollinated or zygomorphic and animal-pollinated. Fruit a capsule or schizocarp.

Solanaceae (Nightshades) of Solanales

Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes with prickles. Leaves simple, alternate. Flowers actinomorphic, 5-merous, corolla often rotate, anthers often connivent. Fruit a berry.

Aquifoliaceae (Hollies) of Aquifoilales

Shrubs or trees. Leaves simple, alternate, coriaceous, toothed or spinose margin. Plants dioecious. Flowers usually imperfect. Fruit a drupe with multiple stones.

Apiaceae (Carrots) of Apiales

Herbs with hollow stems. Leaves alternate, usually lobed, dissected, or pinnately compound. Inflorescence a compound umbel. Flowers 5-merous, ovary inferior, stylopodia present. Fruit a schizocarp of two mericarps that separate from a carpophore.

Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles) of Dipsacales

Shrubs or lianas. Leaves simple, opposite. Flowers usually zygomorphic. Fruit a berry.

Asteraceae (Sunflowers) of Asterales

Herbs or (rarely) shrubs. Leaves usually simple, alternate, sometimes with basal rosette. Inflorescence a head/capitulum subtended by phyllaries. Florets disc (perfect, actinomorphic), ray (imperfect or sterile, zygomorphic), or ligulate (perfect, zygomorphic). Sepals modified into pappus, corolla connate, anthers connate, style emerging through anther tube to present pollen. Fruit an achene/cypsela

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)

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

Equisetaceae (Horsetails)

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)

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

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.

Cupressaceae (Cypresses and Junipers) of Pinales

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Smilacaceae (Greenbriers) of Liliales

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

Orchidaceae (Orchids) of 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) of Asparagales

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

Amaryllidaceae (Onions) of Asparagales

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

Typhaceae (Cattails) of Poales

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

Juncaceae (Rushes) of 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) of 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

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

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

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.

Araceae (Arums) of Alismatales

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.