angiosperms (popular families)

botany dr kohnen

Arecaceae

• aka Palmae

• palm family - 3,500 species

• Phoenix dactylifera

• Washington filifera

• Dwarf palmetto

Liliaceae

• lilly family - 4,000 species

• lilies, daylillies, tupips, amaryllis, etc.

• ex. Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum)

  • native to Holy Land

• also includes garlic and onions

• Lilium bulbiferum

• many contain sulferic acid (H2SO4)

  • same chemical compound as battery acid

  • in onions and garlic, and is what makes your eyes burn

Iridaceae

• iris family - 1,400 species

• iris, gladeolus, crocus

  • Crocus sativus - source of saffron

    • flower stigmas are collected, dried, and ground to produce a spice and yellow dye

    • takes 100,000 flowers to produce one pound of saffron

Orchidaceae

• orchid family > 24,000 species

  • largest plant family

• Cattleya hybrids and species

• epiphytic orchids often have touch leaves and pseudobulbs (enlarged stems) which help survive drought conditions

• Stanhopea

• Cymbidium - Himalayas

• Orchis spectabilis - Mediterranean

• Cypripedium - lady slippers, found in temperate regions

• Vanilla planifolia - vanilla

  • central america

  • vanilla beans (vanillin compound) are full of tiny seeds

    • 35% ethanol/water w/ cured fruits = vanilla extract

Poaceae

• grass family - 8,000 species

• Bamboo - have rhizome roots that allows them to spread very easily

• Foxtail grass (Hordeum jubatum)

• rice, wheat, and corn

• sugarcane; Saccharum officinarum

• all grasses are wind pollinated

  • flowers aren’t showy, and are more conspicuous

Bromeliaceae

• bromeliad family - 2,000 species

• many are epiphytes

• pineapples; Ananas comosus

  • contain bromelain; a protease that prevents its use in gelatin or milk deserts

• Tillandsia usneoides (spanish moss)

  • green flowers, and fruits with seeds

Musaceae

• banana family - 150 species

• Ravenala madagascariensis

• Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana yields many varieties

  • most are triploid and sterile

Brassicaceae

• mustard family - 2,500 species

• flowers have 4 petals which form a cross

• Brassica juncea

• Brassica napus

• fruit = silique

• Brassica oleracea is common ancestor of cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower (all products of natural selection)

cabbage

B. oleracea selection for tight-filled leaves, a result of mutation (terminal buds)

brussels sprouts

B. oleracea selection for lateral buds

kohlrabi

B. oleracea selection for stem

kale

B. oleracea selection for leaves

broccoli

B. oleracea selection for stems and flowers

cauliflower

B. oleracea selection for flower clusters

Brassica rapa

source of canola oil (rape seed oil)

Fabaceae

• legume family - 13,000 species

• Cliantus formosus

• legume flowers are easily recognized; usually exhibit bilateral symmetry

  • stamen filaments usually fused to form a tube that surrounds the pistil inside the keel (two fused petals)

• seeds have high protein content

  • possible because legumes often maintain symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (esp. rhizobium)

    • nitrogen fixing bacteria concert N2 to NH3

    • some ammonium is passed t o the plant for incorporation into amino acids; in return, the bacteria receive carbohydrate

• many legumes grown for food

  • peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, etc.

• other legumes grown as ornamentals

  • american wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)

  • Lathyrus pseudocicera

  • Lathyrus odoratus

  • Lupinus sp.

Papaveraceae

• poppy family -250 species

• Arctomeron californica

• Papaver atlanticum

• Papaver nudicaule

• Papaver somniferum (source of opium; codeine)

• Romneya coulteri: grows as bush, native to southern California

Rosaceae

• rose family - 3,000 species

• Rosa woodsii

• rose hips - edible, rich in vitamin c

• rose essence - main ingredient in most commerical perfumes

• stone fruits: Prunus

• pome fruits: Malus (apples), Pyrus (pears)

• aggregate fruits: Rubus (raspberries and blackberries)

Cactaceae

• cactus family - 1,500 species

• Mammillaria dioica

• Carnegiea gigantea

• flowers usually have numerous petals and stamens

• thorns replace leaves to save water

• Lophorpha williamsii: source of mescaline (norepinephrine)

Asteraceae

• sunflower family - 20,000 species

  • 2nd largest plant family

• flower head is a collection of tiny flowers (florets)

• Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)

• what we call a petal is actually called a corolla

• disk flowers are bisexual - cross polination

• ray flower are female

• sunflowers grown primarily foe seed which is pressed for oil

• Inyla helenium

• Rhydbergia grandiflora

• Dahlia

Solanaceae

• nightshade family - 3,000 species

• stamens attached to corolla

  • corolla s flared

• potato (solanum tuberosum)

• Plytophthora infestans - pathogen

  • Potato Late Blight —> potato famine

• Capsicum annuum (chili peppers)

• Lycopersicon esculentum (tomatoes)

• scopalamine - potent hallucinogen

  • Datura melatoides

  • used in war tactic on captured enemies as a truth serum

Lamiaceae

• mint family - 3,000 species

• Rosemary - Romarinus officinalis

• peppermint - Mentha piperita

• Coleus (sought after for pigment varieties)

• chia pet lol (Salvia columbariae)

Cucurbitaceae

• pumpkin family - 700 species

• all produce pepo fruits

• squashes and melons

• produce unisexual flowers

• Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) - ancient Egypt!

• Cycumis melo

Euphorbiaceae

• spurge famaily - ~6,300 species

• mostly in tropical world

• flowers are unisexual and highly modified

  • no corolla

  • male & female flowers inserted into cup of fused bracts

  • male flowers reduced to stamens

  • female flowers oftne reduced to single carpels

• most produce milky latex which is often caustic (caused skin irritation) or poisonous

• Hevea, cassava, castor bean, and pointsettia

  • Manioc (cassava) contains cyanogenic glycoside, so harvested in such a way that gets ride of cyanide

  • Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree)

  • Ricinus communis

    • castor oil

    • bean seeds are source or ricin (poison) which inhibits protein synthesis

      • white powder often mistaken for other drugs

  • mexican jumping beans (Sebastiana pavoniana)

    • each capsule section is derived from a carpel

manioc harvesting

• shredded (mixes glycoside with degenerative enzyme) then let pulp sit

• mashed into cakes and then baked to release hydrogen cyanide into air

inflorescence

collection of flowers

Ranunculaceae

• buttercup family - ~1,500 species

• most herbacious and found in northern temperate to arctic regions

• tend to be perennials

• some at least slightly poisonous

• Buttercup (Ranunculus)

• Columbine (Aquilegia)

• Larkspur (Delphinium)

• Clematis (Clematis pitscheri)

• Monkshood (Acontium fischeri)

• Wolfsbane (Acontium lycoctomum)

Lauraceae

• Laurel family - ~2,500 species

• tropical evergreen shrubs or trees

• aromatic leaves

• flowers aer primitive

• cinnamon and cassia

  • cinnamon - bark removed from 2 year stems and dried for processing

• sassafras

• Oregon Myrtle - often used for wood use

• avocado!

Araceae

• aroid family - ~3,000 species

• highly variable perennial herbs

• inflorescence has a spathe and spadix

  • in some species, spadix produce and store starch to heat up and volatize compound that attract pollinators

• philodendrons from central and south America

• Anthurium

• Amorphophallus titanium

Rafflesiaceae

• Rafflesia family - 27 species, all parasitic

• genus Rafflesia contain the world’s largest single flowers

• Tetrastigma leucostapylum (Vitaceae) is the main host of Rafflesia

• Rafflesia keithii (Sabah, Borneo)

mobile carnivorous plants

• Sarracenia

  • S. alata

  • S. leucophylla

  • S. purpurea

  • S. rubra wherryi

  • S. flava

  • S. xmoorei (hybrid of S. flava and S. leucophylla)

• Drosera

  • D. capillaris

  • D. filiformis var. tracyi

• Pinguicula primulifora