plants final

Caryophyllaceae

• In the Caryophyllales order

• Carnation family

• weedy

• dichasium inflorescence, usually a cyme

• opposite leaves, swollen nodes

• capsule fruit

• free-central placetattion

Amaranthaceae

• In the Caryophyllales order

• Herbs or weeds

• Halophytes

• includes chenopods

• secrete salt on leaves

• calyx is oersistant around the fruit

Cactaceae

• In the Caryophyllales order

• “new world” stem succulents protected by spines

• fleshy, succulent

• epiphytes

• no leaves except Pereskia

• spines

Polygonace

• In the Caryophyllales order

• smartweeds family

• herbs (few shrubs) of wet or arid regions

• leaves at swollen nodes

• modified stipules as sheath = ocrea

Caryophyllids

These species have unusual adaptations to the “stressful” environments (high salt, low water)

Xerophytes

Plants adapted to survive in environments with little access to water (desert or arid regions) e.g. cacti, Cactaceae

Halophytes

Plants that thrive in areas with high salinity (salt marshes, saline deserts) e.g glasswort, Amaranthaceae

Cushion plants

Plants that thrive in harsh alpine, arctic, or subarctic environments (alpine, tundra) e.g. chickweed, Caryphyllaceae

4 defining features of Caryophyllaes

1. Betalains: Nitrogen containing pigments

2. Free-central placentation (or basal) generates capsule fruits

3. Curved embryo in ovule = campylotropous

4. Pollen shed in trinucleate stage vs. common 2-nucleate

Characteristics shared by the “core Caryophyllales” families

1. Succulence (water held in thick stem/leaf tissue)

2. No leaves (no water loss through transpiration)

3. C₄ and CAM photosynthesis: Both are efficient in arid hot environments.

   1. C₄ (Concentrates CO₂, so the plant doesn’t need to keep stomata open as long)

   2. CAM (opens stomata at night and fixes CO₂, cooler/less evaporation)

4. Salt excretion (Salt glands or tissues remove excess salt)

Ericaceae

• in the Ericales order

• Enkianthus is sister to the rest of the family, origin in east asia.