Botany 1.5: Intro to Plant Families

Botany 1.5: Intro to Plant Families

Jiling Lin (2017)

www.LinJiling.blogspot.com

get this as a PDF here 

9 common herbaceous plant families:

-        Asteraceae

-        Brassicaeae

-        Lamiaceae

-        Apiaceae

-        Fabaceae

-        Rosaceae

-        Malvaceae

-        Solanaceae

-        Ranunculaceae

4 common tree families:

-        Pinaceae

-        Fagaceae

-        Betulaceae

-        Salicaceae     

      

      (I would like to add photos to this one day, but this handout is meant to accompany a class with live plants. Go meet your local herbalists and botanists!) 

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9 Plant Families

Asteraceae (Aster family)

Infl: head, with ray (irregular) and/ or disk flowers (regular, 5-merous), usu subtended by involucre of bracts (phyllaries)

K: absent, or with pappus/ bristles/ awns/ scale

C: 5 fused petals

A: 5 fused stamen

G: inferior

Ex: Achillea, Echinaceae, Calendula, Arnica, Arctium, Artemisia, Taraxacum, Inula, Matricaria…

Brassicaeae (Mustard family)

K: 4 sepals
C: 4 petals

A: tetradynamous (4 long, 2 short)

G: superior, with 2 united carpels

Fruit: dry pod, usu dehiscent: Silique/ silicle

Ex: Brassica (Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Bokchoy, Turnip), Radish, Horseradish…

Lamiaceae (Mint family)

K: 5-lobed or cleft, regular or bilabiate. 5 united sepals

C: irregular (bilabiate/ 2-lipped); 5 united petals

A: 4 (usu didynamous)

G: superior. 2 united carpels
Lvs: opposite, aromatic

Stems: square

Fruit: capsule with 4 smooth nutlets

Ex: Mentha, Scutellaria, Lavandula, Salvia, Stachys, Leonurus, Melissa, Ocimum, Nepeta, Monarda…

Apiaceae (Carrot family)

Infl: simple/ compound umbel

K: small, scale-like, 5, or none

C: 5 petals

A: 5 stamen

G: inferior, with 2 united carpels, 2 styles. 
Stem: hollow between nodes

Lvs: pinnately compound

Fruit: indehiscent, hard schizocarp, usu oily/ aromatic

Ex: Ligusticum, Foeniculum, Angelica, Centella, Osmorhiza, Daucus, Conium, Heracleum…

Fabaceae (Pea family)

C: irregular, papilonaceous: banner, wings, keel (5 united sepals)

Lvs: pinnately compound

Fruits: dehiscent pea-like pods

Ex: Trifolium, Astragalus, Glycyrrhiza, Medicago, Prosopis, Peuraria, Baptisia, Cassia…

Rosaceae (Rose family)

K: 5 separate

C: 5 separate

A: 5 to numerous stamen

G: perigynous. Forms a hypanthium (floral cup). Numerous styles.

Lvs: serrated alternate leaves with stipules. Simple, trifoliate, palmate, or pinnately compound.

Ex: Rosa, Crataegus, Prunus, Rubus, Potentilla, Fragaria, Agrimonia, Alchemilla…

Malvaceae (Mallow family)

K: 3-5 partially united sepals

C: 5 separate petals, regular

A: numerous fused stamen, forming a column

G: superior. Several united carpals.

Lvs: simple, lobed, alternate, often palmately lobed

Ft: schizocarp (cheeses)

Ex: Malva, Hibiscus, Althaea, Theobroma, Sphaeralcea, Gossypium…

Solanaceae (Nightshade family)

K: 5 united sepals

C: 5 united regular petals

A: 5 stamen attached to petals 

G: superior, with 2 united carpels, 1 style, 1 stigma

Lvs: glandular/ sticky, alternate

Ft: berry/ capsule

Ex: Capsicum, Lycium, Solanum, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Atropa, tomato, potato, eggplant, bellpepper…

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

Variable: regular/ irregular, perfect/ imperfect

K: 3-15 separate sepals, usu showy

C: usu absent

A: numerous stamen; free

G: superior, 3-numerous simple pistils, usu with hooked tips

Ex: Anemone, Coptis, Hydrastis, Actaea, Clematis, Aconitum…

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4 Tree Families

Pinaceae (Pine family)

Gymnosperm, with aerodynamically matched male and female strobili

-        Pine (Pinus): 1-8 needles sheathed together at the base

-        Larch (Larix): deciduous. Needles in spirals at branch buds

-        Spruce (Picea): sharp needles. Cones hang down

-        Fir (Abies): “furry” flat needles. Cones points up

-        Doug fir (Tsuedotsuga): cones hang down, with “mouse tails” between scales

-        Hemlock (Tsuga): short, flat needles attached by petiole

Fagaceae (Beech family)

Monoecious

K: 4-6 sepals

C: 0

A: 4-40 stamen (on staminate fls)

G: inferior ovary. 3 (sometimes 6) united carpels, and styles

Lvs: simple, alternate, toothed/ lobed

Ft: acorn-like nut

Ex: Castanea, Quercus

Betulaceae (Birch family)

Monoecious, with catkins.

-        Staminate fls:

K: 0-4 sepals

C: 0

A: 2-20 stamen

-        Pistillate fls:

K/ C: 0

G: inferior. 2 united carpels/ styles

Lvs: simple, toothed, alternate, pinnately veined

ft: nut or winged seed

Ex: Betula, Alnus

Salicaceae (Willow family)

Dioecious, with catkins

-        Staminate fls:

A: 2+ stamen

-        Pistillate fls:

G: superior. 2-4 united carpels/ stigmas

Ft: capsule

Lvs: simple, alternate

Ex: Salix, Populus