Plant Systematic Families

Rosaceae

herbs, shrubs, trees, stipules present often adnate to petiole, often armed, flowers in racemes, flowers large (5-merous, radially symmetrical), hypanthium present, many stamens, carpels 5—many, many different fruits

Fabaceae

usually vines, shrubs or trees, leaves alternate, pinnately compound, often tendrils, stipules present, often single flowers or raceme, 5-merous, 3 petal types, 10 stamens, legume, converts nitrogen gas in soil 

Cyperaceae

Juncaceae

Water lilies, magnolias and relatives

flower parts variable, flower whorls poorly differentiated, often strong odors 

Monocots

single cotyledon, leaf venation parallel, flower parts in multiples of 3, never woody 

(ex. Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Liliales and Asparagales, Orchidaceae)

Dicots

leaf venation netted, flower parts in multiples of 4, 5 (often)

Rosids

petals not fused, stamen # greater than petal #, stemsn not fused to petals, carpel number usually 3-5

Asterids

petals connate, stamen # equal or less than petal #, stamens adnateto petals, carpel number 2

Ranunculaceae

Buttercuo family, mostly temperate, herb and some vines, inflorescence a cyme of flowers single, flowers usually radially symmetrical, many stamens, many simple pistils, fruit usually aggregate of achenes or follicles

Vitaceae

grape family, lianas, leaves alternate, tendrils opposite of leaves, inflorescence cyme, flowers radially symmetrical, two fused carpels, ovary superior, fruit a berry, 2 seeds per locole, seeds with raphe (raised line)

Apomixis in rosaceae

“away from mixing”, form of asexual reproduction, seeds produced without fertilization, generations are genetically identical

3 petal types for fabaceae

“banner”, 2 ‘wings”, 2 “keels”

Brassicaceae

mustard family, herbs, leaves alternate, usually simple leaves (lobed), no stipules, mustard oils, flowers in racemes, 4-merous, 6 stamens (2 short outer stamens, 4 long inner stamens), carpels 2, specialized capsule (silique)

Onagraceae

evening primrose family, herbs and shrubs, leaves alternate or opposite, stipules absent, hairy, flowers usually in a raceme, 4-merous, sepals reflexed, radially symmetrical, big elongate hypanthium (fused sepals, petals, stamens), fruit a capsule 

Caryophyllaceae

carnation family, herbs, opposite, nodes swollen, inflorescence is a cyme, sepals fused, no petals, “petals” are modified stamens, “petals” often with notched tips, free-central placentation, fruit a capsule, (aril)

Polygonaceae

knotweed family, herbs, alternate, nodes swollen, sheathing stipule present (ocrea), sour (often with oxalic acid), inflorescence is a raceme or spine, flowers small, 1 whorl of 5 tepals, or 2 whorls of 3 tepals, basal placentation, fruit an achene

Asteraceae

herb, shrubs, trees, alternative, opposite and whorled, often hairy, often strong-smelling (terpenoids), flowers in heads (capitulum) surrounded by an involucre (many small bracts (phyllaries)), flowers small, sepals modified (pappus), fruit an achene

Asteraceae tribes

Chichoreae, Cynareae, Eupatoricae, Astereace

Lamiaceae

Mint family, herbs, leaves opposite, stems square inflorescene is spike-like or axillary, sepals fused, didynamous (2 lengths of stamens), style gynobasic, fruit a schizocarp (produces 4 “nutlets”

Plantaginaceae

snapdragon family, herbs, opposite or alternate, stems round, flowers small, didynamous, fruit many-seeded capsule 

Aril

fleshing covering on a seed, derived from the tissue associated with the placenta 

Spine

modified stipules or leaves

Thorn

modified branches

Prickles 

randomly distributed from epidermis 

Didynamous families

Lamiaceae, brassicaceae, plantaginaceae

What is a tendril?

a specialized stem, leaf or petiole

fams with raceme inflorescence

rosaceae, polygonaceae, onagraceae, brassicaceae

axillary inflorescence

lamiaceae

Spine inflorescence

polygonaceae

Cyme inflorescence

caryophyllaceae, vitaceae, ranunculacea

Solanaceae

extremly fused petals, plicate corolla “folded”, leaves alternate, no stipules, often extremely toxic (alkaloids), usually strong odor, usually cymose inflorescence, fruits capsule or berry, axile placentation  

Convolvulaceae

leaves alternate, latex present, cymose or single inflorences, fruit a capsule

Difference between convulvulaceae and solanaceae 

in convolvulaceae sepals usually not fused and latex is present 

Apiaceae

frequently with tubers, leaves alternate and usually very divided, *sheathing petiole base, aromatic, frequently toxic, inflorescence=umbel, 5 merous, ovary inferior, fruit is a schizocarp

Campanulaceae

leaves alternate, simple, stipules absent, latex present, ovary inferior, 5-merous, usually raceme inflorescence

umbel fams

apiaceae