Plant week 8

Dioscoreales notable families

Dioscoraceae, Dioscorea (yams), and Tacca (batwing plants)

Distinguish between sedges, rushes, and grasses

Sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses are hollow straight to the ground

Arecaceae characteristics and example

Trees, rarely branch, prop roots, plicate (corrigated) leaves. Coconut

Commelinaceae characteristics and example

Hairy stamen, folded leaves, closed leaf sheath, distinct calyx and corolla. Commelina erecta is endangered.

Bromeliaceae characteristics and example

Spiral stigmas, rosette leaves forming a tank, bright axil inflorescence. Ananas comosus (pineapple)

Typhaceae characteristics and example

Linear leaves, inflorescence dense determinate spike with staminate flowers above carpellate. Typha latifolia (cattail)

Cyperaceae characteristics and example

Triangular stems, 3-ranked leaves, closed sheath, spikelet inflorescence, rhizome. Eriophorum angustifolium (cotton grass)

Juncaceae characteristics and example

Round solid stem, 3-ranked basal leaves, open sheath, non-showy tepals. Juncus nodosus (knotted rush).

Poaceae characteristics and example and importance to humans

Rhizome, jointed stem, hollow, ligules at sheaths, indeterminate spikelet. Secale cereale (rye). Majority of human farmland and calories.

Identify and name parts of Poaceae spikelets and florets. Bottom to top

Bottom to top of spikelet:

-Glumes (pair of bracts)

-Lemma (bracts enclosing floret, sharp awn)

-Palea (bracts replacing perianth)

-Stamen arrow shaped

Zingiberaceae example species

Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Curcuma longa (Turmeric)

Ranunculales relation to other eudicots, Ranunculaceae characteristics and examples

Sister to all other eudicots. Imbricate petal like tepals. Actea pachypoda (doll’s eyes) and Ranunculus acris (Tall buttercup)

Saxifragaceae characteristics

Hypanthium, imbricate or convolute petals

Crassulaceae characteristics

Succulents, determinate cyme, imbricate flowers with nectar gland