Study Guide for Plant Taxonomy Quiz on Wednesday October 29, 2014
Keep an eye to the BIG PICTURE—I may ask a question or two about how everything fits together!
Be able to diagram a simple phylogeny of angiosperms.
Angiosperms: ANITA (ANA) Grade : Basal Angiosperms
What is the ANITA Grade and what do the letters stand for? How do the plants of the ANITA grade differ
from the Core Angiosperms? How are the carpels fused? What are columellate pollen, ethereal oils
and why are they important? Be VERY clear on angiosperm synapomorphies and be able to list several.
Discuss the level of differentiation of flower parts in general in the ANITA grade. Have a general
understanding of Amborella, Nymphaeales, Illiaceae (Austrobaileyales). Which had no vessels? What
group has air spaces in the stems? How prevalent is the apocarpous state and poorly differentiated
stamens?
Magnoliid Clade
What characters resolve magnoliids into a separate clade (for example: molecular synapomorphies and
secondary chemistry), monophyletic group including the Magnoliales, Laurales, Canellales & Piperales,
perianth parts spiral or whorls of 3, sources of spices, stamens frequently poorly differentiated, be able
to describe the foliage & calyx & corolla & androecium & gynoecium & fruit of the Magnoliaceae,
Myristicaceae, Lauraceae, Piperaceae, Aristolochiaceae, and Saururaceae (see separate study guide)
General Monocots:
Embryo with a single cotyledon– remains the best morphological synapomorphy of monocots
Other monocot characteristics (but not necessarily synapomorphies since there are many exceptions) :
parallel veined leaves, adventitious roots, herbaceous habit, scattered vascular bundles, leaves formed
at the basal end of the leaf primordium (= intercalary meristem), monosulcate pollen, DNA sequence
evidence, flower parts in 3’s.
What is a cotyledon (leaf or leaves developed at first embryonic node) and how do they differ from
endosperm? Ploidy level of endosperm vs. cotyledons.
No vascular cambium (i.e., no wood) in monocots although they can grow thicker by virtue of
anomalous (secondary thickening) meristem
Know the foliage/calyx/corolla/androecium/gynoecium/fruit for Lilliaceae.
Family
Magnoliid Clade
Magnoliaceae
Myristicaceae
Lauraceae
Foliage
Calyx
Corolla
Androecium
Gynoecium
Fruit
Trees/shrubs
blade with
pellucid dots
containing
ethereal oils
(aromatic
terpenoids)
bark exudes
reddish sap;
blades with
pellucid dots
containing
ethereal oils;
contains
myristicin
(=hallucinogen
Tepals
distinct
Tepals
distinct
Many
undifferentiated
stamens
Numerous
distinct,
superior
aggregate
of
follicles,
seed red,
dangles
Three
connate
tepals
Three
connate
tepals
filaments
connate into a
solid column;
stamens 2 to
numerous
one ovule,
ovary
superior
leathery
follicle,
large
seed,
colorful
aril
contain
ethereal oils
(made from 5
carbon
Usually 6
tepals
Usually 6
tepals
filaments with
nectar
producing
appendages;
one carpel,
ovary
superior
Drupe or
one
seeded
berry
Piperaceae
fragment
called
terpenoid)
contains
ethereal oils
stamens 3-12
Aristolochiaceae
ethereal oils
with pellucid
dots and
aristolochic
acids, bitter
yellow
nitrogenous
compounds
Saururaceae
with ethereal
oils
Family
Monocots
(nonCommelinoid
Clade)
Liliaceae
No
perianth!
Spikes of
thick,
minute
flowers
connate,
showy,
dull red,
mottled
No
perianth!
Spikes of
thick,
minute
flowers
missing
filaments
distinct;
stamens 1-10
1 ovule per
gynoecium,
superior
drupe
filaments
adnate to style;
stamens 6-12
4-6 carpels,
inferior
ovary
Septicidal
capsule
Absent-Flowers
with a
single
petaloid
bract
Absent-Flowers
with a
single
petaloid
bract
3-8 distinct
stamens
3-4 carpels
united at
the base;
superior
capsule
Foliage
Calyx
Corolla
Androecium
Gynoecium
Fruit
bulbs or
rhizomes,
parallel
venation
Six distinct
tepals
Six distinct
tepals
Stamens 6,
filaments
distinct
3 connate
carpels,
ovary
superior
Loculicidal
capsule
Plant Taxonomy Plant ID list 2014:
WEEK 1
Euphorbia (term to know: cyathium) EUPHORBIACEAE
Tribulus (terms to know: schizocarp, mericarp, opposite, alternate, distinct, adnate, connate)
ZYGOPHYLLACEAE
WEEK 2
Ipomopsis (term to know: exserted) POLEMONIACEAE
Castilleja (term to know: hemiparasite) OROBANCHACEAE
Malva (term to know: monadelphous) MALVACEAE
Hesperidanthus (terms to know: tetradynamous, silique) BRASSICACEAE
Desmodium (term to know: loment) FABACEAE
Commelina (term to know: spathe) COMMELINACEAE
WEEK 3
Melampodium (terms to know: disc flower, ray flower) ASTERACEAE
Argemone (term to know: merosity, plant alkaloids) PAPAVERACEAE
Cucurbita (terms to know: pepo, inferior ovary) CUCURBITACEAE
Datura (terms to know: salverform, funnelform) SOLANACEAE
Oenothera (term to know: inferior ovary) ONAGRACEAE
WEEK 4
Agastache (term to know: zygomorphic) LAMIACEAE
Dieteria (terms to know: phyllary, achene) ASTERACEAE
Scirpus (terms to know: sedge, monocot) CYPERACEAE
Thalictrum (term to know: dioecious) RANUNCULACEAE
Guilleminia (term to know: bract) AMARANTHACEAE
WEEK 5
Persicaria (term to know: ochrea) POLYGONACEAE
Typha TYPHACEAE
Maclura (term to know: multiple fruit) MORACEAE
Boerhavia (term to know: anthocarp) NYCTAGINACEAE
Mentha LAMIACEAE
WEEK 6
Ericameria (terms to know: discoid, lanate) ASTERACEAE
Gutierrezia (term to know: radiate) ASTERACEAE
Polanisia CLEOMACEAE
Croton (term to know: dioecious) EUPHORBIACEAE
Salsola (term to know: whole plant is dispersal mechanism) CHENOPODIACEAE
WEEK 7
Ephedra (term to know: Gnetophyte) EPHEDRACEAE
Portulaca (term to know: circumscissile) PORTULACACEAE
Mollugo (term to know: whorled) MOLLUGINACEAE
Allionia NYCTAGINACEAE
Dimorphocarpa BRASSICACEAE
Stachys LAMIACEAE