Asteridae

Habit herbs, shrubs and trees

Leaves mostly alternate; simple to deeply divided or once or twice pinnate; estipulate

Inflorescences cymose or solitary

Special floral characters flower perfect and actinomorphic; anthers often connivent around style (Solanum) and dehiscing by terminal pores

Calyx 5 (4-7) sepals distinct or connate

Corolla 5 (4-7) petals connate (=sympetalous); actinomorphic

Androecium 5 (2, 4-7) stamens, filaments adnate to petals (=epipetalous); some with poricidal dehiscence

Gynoecium 2 (3-5) carpels; connate; superior (rarely half inferior); 2 locules with many axile ovules in each locule OR 1 locule with many parietal ovules; style simple or only scarcely lobed

Fruit= berry or septicidal capsule

(Floral formula: Ca 5 Co 5 A 5 G 2 )

Solanaceae -- tomato/potato family (85-96/2800; Cosmopolitan, best developed in South American tropics)

Comments: Many important cultivated members including: tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), peppers (Capsicum spp.), tobacco (Nicotiana), and petunias (Petunia).

Various members contain high contents of alkoloids and the name Nightshade probably derives from the potentially lethal side of these. Belladonna means “pretty lady” and women used to dose themselves with an extract of this plant to dilate their eyes and appear more desirable. Mandrake (Mandragon), nicotine (tobacco), and Jimson-weed (Datura) are all members of this family.

Asteridae

Solanaceae -- comments

Asteridae

Habit herbs, less frequently shrubs or treesLeaves alternate, opposite or whorled; simple to deeply divided or compound; estipulate

Inflorescences often racemose or cymose

Special floral characters flowers perfect and zygomorphic, tubular corolla, anthers 4 (2+2, filaments unequal) and sometimes with a staminode (if present often pubescent).

Calyx 5 sepals, distinct or variously connate; zygomorphic

Corolla 5 petals, connate (=sympetalous), zygomorphic, often bilabiate

Androecium 4 or 2 (5) stamens, distinct; filaments adnate to corolla (=epipetalous)

Gynoecium 2 carpels; connate; superior; 2 locules with 2-many axile ovules/locule; 1 style with bilobed stigma

Fruit= mostly a septicidal capsule

(Floral formula: Ca 5 Co 5 A 4 or 2 G 2 )

Scrophulariaceae -- the figwort or monkey flower family (190/ 4000; Cosmopolitan, most abundant in temperate regions and tropical alpine habitats)

Some genera: Aragoa, Bacopa, Bartsia, Calceolaria, Castilleja, Lindernia, Mimulus, Pedicularis, Verbascum, Veronica.

Comments: The Orobanchaceae is generally considered the parasitic/saprophytic counterpart/sistergroup to the Scrophulariaceae and sometimes treated as a subfamily within Scrophulariaceae. Indian paintbrush (Castilleja), a partial root parasite, is an example of a scroph that links the two families together. The Scrophulariaceae is important for its the production of cardiac glycosides from Digitalis (foxglove) and for ornamentals which include items such as veronica (Veronica), penstemons (Penstemon), butter and eggs (Linaria), monkey flowers (Mimulus), slipper flower (Calceolaria), etc.

Asteridae

Scrophulariaceae -- comments

Asteridae

Habit aromatic, punctate herbs, less frequently shrubs or trees

Leaves opposite or rarely whorled; simple to deeply divided or pinnate;estipulate; terete (square) stems

Inflorescences axillary cymes or verticils, sometimes headlike or solitary, various

Special floral characters bilabiate corolla with 4 stamens fused to the petals, gynobasic style, and 4-lobed ovary that matures into nutlets

Calyx 5 sepals, variously connate; zygomorphic

Corolla 5 petals, connate (=sympetalous), zygomorphic, often bilabiate

Androecium 4 or 2 stamens, distinct; filaments adnate to corolla (=epipetalous)

Gynoecium 2 basally connate carpels (appear as four because of a false septum); superior; 4-lobed or divided into 4 locules with 1 basal-axile

ovule/ locule; 1 gynobasic style, 2-lobed near apex

Fruit= schizocarp which splits into four nutlets

(Floral formula: Ca 5 Co 5 A 4 or 2 G 2 )

Lamiaceae -- the mint family (200/ 2000; Cosmopolitan, especially common in

Mediterranean habitats)

family Asteridae

Habit herbs, shrubs, woody vines or trees

Leaves opposite or whorled; simple; stipulate; stipules aften fused together, forming interpetiolar stipules

Inflorescences variously cymose, sometimes solitary or in heads

Special floral characters flowers perfect, regular, often showy

Calyx 4 or 5 sepals, connate or distinct

Corolla 4 or 5 petals, connate (=sympetalous), actinomorphic

Androecium 4 or 5 stamens, distinct; filaments adnate to corolla (=epipetalous)

Gynoecium 2 carpels, connate; inferior ovary; 2 locules with many axile ovules/locule; 1 style, undivided

Fruit= berry, drupe, capsule, or schizocarp

(Floral formula: Ca 4-5 Co 4-5 A 4-5 G 2 )

Rubiaceae -- the madder or coffee family (450-606/ 6500; Mostly tropical)

Asteridae

Habit herbs or shrubs (woody vines, stem-succulents, or trees)Leaves alternate or opposite; simple to bipinnate; estipulate

Inflorescences involucral heads, indeterminate (with oldest flowers to outside), often 2 aggregated into various cymose clusters, sometimes racemose clusters

Special floral characters small flowers (florets) clustered together on a receptacle subtended by involucral bracts (phyllaries). Some florets subtended by receptacular bracts (chaff scales or paleae)

Calyx modified into a pappus, extremely variable in features, maybe absent

Corolla 5 petals, connate (=sympetalous); actinomorphic to strongly zygomorphic

Androecium 5 stamens; filament distinct with anthers connate into a tube surrounding the style; filaments adnate to corolla (=epipetalous). Anthers dehisce to the inside of the anther tube, anther sacs can be modified apically or basally with appendages

Gynoecium 2 carpels, connate; inferior; with 1 locule and 1 basal ovule; 1 style usually branched near apex. Style elongates as flower opens, and presents pollen brushed from the anther tube.

Fruit= achene

(Floral formula: Ca x(0) Co 5 A 5 G 2 )

Asteraceae -- the sunflower family (1400-1540/ 20,000-23,000; Cosmopolitan)

Asteridae

Flowers you will see in today’s lab:

Disk flowers: actinomorphic or bilabiate; usually perfect; can be in heads by themselves or with other kinds of flowers.

Ray flowers: strongly zygomorphic (3-lobed); usually imperfect or sterile; always borne in heads with disk flowers

Ligulate flowers: strongly zygomorphic (5-lobed); always perfect; usually borne in heads by themselves

Check text for two others not seen today

Asteraceae -- comments

For such a large family (second largest flowering plant family), relatively few members are of major economic importance:

Vegetables: lettuce (Lactuca sativa)endive (Cichorium endiva)artichoke (Cynara scolymus)Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Seeds/oil:sunflower (Helianthus annuus)safflower (Carthamus baeticus)niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica)

Ornamentals: chrysanthemums (Dendranthema spp.)marigolds (Tagetes spp.)pot marigold (Calendula spp.)bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea cyanus)Cosmos, Dahlia, Ageratum, Gazania, Helianthus, Zinnia

No Fun: Ambrosia spp. (ragweeds) MAJOR cause of hayfever sufferingDandelions (Taraxacum officinale): bane of crochet and golf greens

Asteridae

Asteraceae -- comments