BotDiv2: Major Plant Families

Annonaceae: The Custard Apple Family

shrubs and trees, aggregate fruit, leaves two ranked and arranged in a regular manner either side of the stem, simple and alternate leaves, stringy bark, tepals in whorls of 3, large number of stamens and free carpels

Apiaceae: The Carrot Family

herbs, inflorescence an umbel or compound umbel, leaves simple or compound and alternate, petioles clasping the stem, hollow stems

Apocynaceae: The Milkweed Family

herbs, trees, shrubs, climbers, entire margins, simple and opposite leaves, milky white latex

** in tropics latex can be colourful and leaves alternate

Asteraceae: The Daisy Family

Herbs or shrubs, inflorescence capitulum with disk and ray florets, fertile disk florets, infertile ray florets, leaves can be simple, compound, opposite, or alternate, pappus around inferior ovary, involucral bracts

Boraginaceae: The Borage Family

herbs or shrubs, inflorescence a scorpioid cyme, flowers white, pink, purple, or blue, rough hairs on whole plant, leaves simple and alternate, fruit with a 4 part nutlet

Brassicaceae: The Mustard Family

herbs/rarely shrubs, crushed leaves smell like mustard or cabbage, leaves simple or compound, leaves alternate and often irregular shape, four long stamen and two short stamen, flowers bilaterally symmetrical with a characteristic X shape

Caryophyllaceae: The Carnation Family

herbs, flowers pink/white, leaves simple, entire, and opposite with indistinct petioles clasping stem, petals often notched or deeply serrated, calyx often inflated

Crassulaceae: The Stonecrop Family

succulent herbs/shrubs, succulent leaves, leaves with waxy cuticles, leaves opposite, alternate, or whorled, 4-5 free carpels, petals free or fused

Geraniaceae: The Geranium Family

herbs/rarely shrubs, fruit a schizocarp, leaves alternate, leaves lobed or compound, whole plant with glandular hairs, aromatic and medicinal smell, long pistil with spreading styles at apex

Fabaceae: The Pea Family

herbs/trees/shrubs, leaf trifoliate, fruit is a legume, stipules, alternate and compound leaves, final leaflet often modified into a tendril

Lamiaceae: The Mint Family

herbs/shrubs, serrate margins, leaves simple and opposite, no stipules, square stems, whole plant often hairy, minty/medicinal smell, style gynobasic, fruit a 4 part nutlet, zygomorphic flowers

Magnoliaceae: The Magnolia Family

shrubs/trees, conical terminal stipules, aggregate fruit, stipule scars surround the stem, ranalean odour, simple, spirally arranged leaves, flower whorls spirally arranged and poorly differentiated

Malvaceae: The Mallow Family

herbs/trees/climbers/shrubs, stamen tube, simple and alternate leaves, serrate margins, paired stipules, mucilage, stringy bark, whole plant with stellate hairs

Myrtaceae: The Myrtle Family

trees/shrubs, sweet scent to crushed leaves, hypanthium, showy stamens, usually entire margins, simple, opposite leaves, pellucid punctations

Papaveraceae: The Poppy Family

herbs/rarely shrubs, leaves simple or compound, alternate, often unusual leaf shapes, clear, white, or coloured latex, many free stamens, many free carpels, flowers sometimes bilaterally symmetrical

Ranunculaceae: The Buttercup Family

herbs/rarely climbers or shrubs, irregular leaf shape, leaves simple or compound, alternate, flowers sometimes zygomorphic, many free stamens and carpels

Rosaceae

herbs or shrubs, serrate margins, hypanthium, stipules, leaves simple or compound, alternate, sometimes paired petiole glands, petals and stamens either 5 or large multiples of 5

Rubiaceae: The Coffee/Madder Family

trees/herbs/shrubs/liana, leaves entire and simple and opposite, sometimes whorled leaves instead of stipules, interpetiolar stipules, spirally overlapping petals, inferior ovary

Saxifragaceae

herbs/sometimes succulents, hypanthium, two carpels semi-inferior fused only at base, leaves in a basal rosette

Euphorbiaceae: The Spurges Family

herbs/trees/shrubs/succulents, reduced male flowers with single stamen, reduced female flowers with single tree parted ovary and three styles, unique inflorescence structure, petal-like cyanthphores, nectar glands, copious white latex, leafless succulents with paired spines, herbs/shrubs/trees with simple, alternate leaves and paired stipules

Cyperaceae: The Sedge Family

“sedges have edges”, stems triangular in cross section and not hollow, leaves whorled

Juncaceae: The Rush Family

“rushes are round”, leafless or with whorled leaves, stems circular in cross section, not hollow

Poaceae: The Grass Family

“grasses are jointed, down to the ground”, leaves usually in one plain, nodes obvious down the stem, stems circular in cross section, hollow