ANGIOSPERMS
Family 1 : Cruciferae
The cruciferae is also known as mustard family. This family includes 375 genera and 3200
species. The plants are found abundantly in northern hemisphere and distributed
worldwide. This family includes vegetables flowers and wild varieties.
Some economically important plants of this family are
Brassica compestris, (TORI) Important for oil and vegetable
B. rapa,
(Turnip) Important for vegetable
B. nigra,
(RAYO) Important for oil and vegetable
B. oleracea,
(CAULI) Important vegetable and Anticancer
Raphnus sativus
(MULA) Important vegetable
Lepidium sativum
(CHAMSUR) Important vegetable
Habit habitat: Annual or biannual or sometimes perennial, herbs, rarely shrubs, wild or
cultivated, terrestrial, mesophytic.
Root:
Tap root and branched or modified (fusiform e.g. Raphnus sativus, Napioform e.g. B.rapa),
sometimes adventitious e.g. Roripa.
Stem: Erect, herbaceous, branched, cylindrical, solid, hairy or glabrous, green,
sometimes stem is condensed or thickened (B. oleraces, R. sativs)
Leaf: Exstipulate, petiolate or sessile, alternate, rarely opposite, simple, cauline and
ramal or radical, lyrate, lobed or entire, acute, glabrous, unicostate, reticulate
venetation.
Inflorescence: racemose, receme or corymb
Flower: Ebracteate,
ebractiolate, pedicellate, hermaphrodite, complete, actinomorphic or
zygomorphic, hypogynous, tetramerous, small, white or yellow.
Calyx: sepals-4, polysepalous, sepaloid, sepals in two worls, 2 in each whorl, hairy or
glabrous, imbricate aestivation.
Corolla: petals-4, polypetalous, cruciform, each petal consists of limb and claw,
alternate with sepals, petaloid, valvet or imbricate aestivation.
Androecium: stamens-6, tetramerous, polyandrous. Anther – bicelled, dithecous,
basifixed, introse
Gynoecium: Carpels-2, bicarpellary, syncarpous. Ovary - superior, unilocular or
bilocular, placentation parietal. Style – short. Stigma – bilobed or glabrous.
Fruit: Siliqua
Seed: Dicotyledinous and non-endospermic
Floral formula:
Systemic position
Kingdom
Division
Class
Subclass
Series
Order
Family
Plantae
Angiosperm
Dicotyledonae
Polypetalae
Thalamiflorae
Parietals
Cruciferae
Distinguishing characters
Herbaceous stem, alternate leaves, racemose inflorescence, ebracteate, tetramerous,
sepals – 4, polysepalous, Petals – 4, polypetalous, cruciform, stamens – 6, tetradynamous,
fruit is siliqua.
Family 2 - Solanaceae
This family is also called as potato family. There are about 90 genera and 2200 species.
This family is distributed in tropical to temperate region world wide. Some are cultivated
and others are wild.
Some economically important members are
Solanum tuberosum (potato), important vegetable
S. melongena (Brinjal),
important vegetable
S. nigrum (Black night shade), important medicinal plant of Jaundice and fever
Lycopersicum esculentum (tomato), important vegetable
Capsicum annum (chilly),
important spices
Nicotiana tobacum (tobacco), important for tobacco, and alkaloid
Datura stramonium (Dhaturo), important medicinal plant and sedative
Habit/Habitat: Annual rarely penennial, herbs, rarely shrubs and soft trees (S
Root:
Stem:
gigantium), some are climbers (S. dulcamera), mesophytic.
Tap root, branched, sometimes adventitious
Erect, rarely prostrate or climbers, branched, herbaceous or woody, solid or fistular,
cylindrical, glabrous or spinous, green, sometimes underground (S. tuberosum)
Leaf: Exstipulate, petiolate or sub-sessile or sessile, alternate or opposite, cauline and
ramalo, simple ro compound, ovate, entire, acute, glabrous or hairy, unicostate
and reticulate venation.
Inflorescence: Cymose, axillary cyme or terminal cyme
Flower: commonly ebracteate, ebractiolate, pedicellate or subsessile, actinomorphic,
rarely zygomorphic, complete, hermaphrodite, pentaerous, hypogynous, flower
small, white, or pink in colour.
Calyx: Sepals-5, gamosepalous, sepaloid, toothed or lobed, campanulate, hairy or
glabrous, valvate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals – 5, gamopetalous, petaloid, campanulate or funnel shaped, sometimes
tubular or rotate, valvate aestivation or twisted or imbricate, pink or white or
purple in colour.
Androecium: Stamens – 5, polyandrous, sometimes stamen – 4 or 2 or staminode,
epipetalous. Anther - bilobed, introse, basifixed.
Gynoecium: Carpel;s – 2, bicarpellary, syncarpous. Ovary – superior, bilocular or
tetramerous, axile placentation, many ovules in each locule. Stigma – lobed or
capitate. Style – long and single
Fruit: Berry or capsule
Seed: Dicotyledonous, endospermic
Floral formula:
Floral Diagram
Systemic position
Class
Subclass
Series
Order
Family
Dicotyledenae
Gamopetalous
Bicarpellate
Polymonials
Somalanceae
Diagnostic characters
Leaves alternate, simple or compound, inflorescence cymose, flowers pentamerous,
actinomorphic, hypogynous, sepals – 5, gamosepalous, petals – 5, gamopetalous, Stamens – 5,
polyandrous, epipetalous, Carpels – 2, syncarpous, axile placentation, Fruit berry or capsule.
Family 3 : Liguminosae
Sub family: Papilionaceae
Papilionaceae is also known as pea family. There are about 600 genera and 1300
species. Widely distributed,abundant in trophical to temperate region.
Some economically important members are
Pisum sativum, PEA - important pulse (DAL)
Phaseolus vulgaris, BODI - important pulse (DAL)
Vicia faba,
BAKULLA - important pulse (DAL)
Gycine max, BHATMAS - - important pulse (DAL)
Arachis hypogea, BADAM - Important for oil and nut
Cicer arientum, GRAM - - important pulse (DAL)
Cajanus cajan, ARHAR - important pulse (DAL)
Delbergia sisso, SISSOO - Important timber
Lens culinaris, MASURO - important pulse (DAL)
Habit Habitat: Annual herbs or perennial shrubs or trees, some are climbers, cultivated
II k
or wild, usually mesophytic.
Root: Tap root and branched, root nodules are present which is important for nitrogen
fixation.
Stem: Erect or prostrate or climbing, herbaceous or woody (Dalbergia sissoo),
branched, angular or cylindrical, solid or fistular, glabrous, green.
Leaf:
Stipulate, cauline and ramal, simple or compound, pinnately compound, modified into
tendrils, alternate or opposite or sometimes whorled, ovate, entire, acute or mucronate,
glabrous, green or glaucous, unicostate, reticulate venation.
Inflorescece: Racemose, receme or panicle or spike or solitary
Flower: bracteate or ebracteate, ebractiolate, pedicellate, complete, zygomorphic,
hermaphrodite, pentamerous, papilionaceous, hypogynous or perigynous, white
or pink in colour
Calyx: sepals – 5, gamosepalous, toothed or bilabiate, sepaloid, campanulate, valvet
or imbricate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals – 5, polypetalous, petaloid, papilionaceous, one petal large, two
medium and two small, fused called keels, vexillary aestivation.
Androecium: Stamens – 10, diadelphous or monoadelphous, rarely polyandrous.
Anther: bilobed or dithecous, basifixed or dorsifixed, intorse.
Gynoecium: Carpel – 1, monocarpellary.
Ovary: superior, unilocular, marginal
placentation. Style – curved. Stigma – capitate or hairy.
Fruit: Legume or pod
Seed: Dicotledonous and non endospermic.
Floral formula
Floral diagram
Systemic Position
Class
Sub Class
Series
Order
Family
Sub Family
Dicotledonae
Polypetalae
Calciflorae
Rosales
Leguminosae
Papilionaceae
Diagnostic characters
Leaves – stipulate, alternate or opposite, simple or compound.
Inflorescence racemose, Flower – pentamerous, zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, papilionaceous,
hypogynous or perigynous. Sepals – 5, gamosepalous, Petals 5, polypetalous, papilionaceous,
Stamens – 10, diadelphous, Carpel – 1, monocarpellary, Fruit legume or pod
Family 4 - Compositae
The compositae family is also known as sunflower family. This is the largest family of angiosperm.
There are about 1000 genera and 2300 species. They are cosmopolitan in distribution.
Some economically important members are:
Helianthus annus,
SUNFLOWER - Important for oil
Chrysanthamum indicum,
CHRYSANTHAMUM - Important ornamental flower
Tagetes erecta,
HAJARIPHOOL - Important ornamental flower
Artemesia indica,
TITEPATI - Important medicine for skin disease and antihelminthic
Azeratum conyzoides,
GANDHE - important medicine for cut and wound
Carthamus tinctorius.
KUSUM - important medicine
Habit/Habitat: Mostly they are annual herbs or perennial shrubs, some are climbers, wild or
cultivated, ornamental, few are trees (Veronica arborea), hydrophytic, mesophytic or xerophytic.
Root: Tap root, branched or adventitious
Stem: Erect or prostrate, few are climbing, herbaceous or woody, solid or fistular, branched,
cylindrical or angular, hairy or glabrous, sometimes underground or stem unbranched.
Leaf: Exstipulate or stipulate, petiolate, cauline and ramal, alternate or opposite or whorled, simple
or compound, pinnately compound, alnceolate, serrate or entire, acute, unicostate, reticulate
venation, sometimes leaves are modified into spines or reduced.
Inflorescence: Head or capitulum, Head consists of two teyps of flowers
Ray florets and disc florets, Head is surrounded by involucre of bracts
Flowers:
Ray florets
bracteate, ebracteolate, sessile, zygomorphic, unisexual, incomplete, epigynous, ligulate
Calyx: Rudimentary, sometimes absent or hairy or scaly
Corolla: Petals – 3-5, gamopetalous, bilabiate, valvet aestivation.
Androecium : absent
Gynoecium: carpels – 2, bicarpellary, syncarpous, Ovary – inferior, unilocular, basal placentation,
Style – Single, Stigma – bifid
Fruit: Cypsela
Seed: nonendospermic, dicotyledonous
Floral Formula
Floral diagram
Disc Florets
Bracteate, sessile, ebractiolate, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, epgynous,
sometimes unisexual.
calyx: Reduced or absent or sometimes hair like or scale like – 2-5.
Corolla: Petals – 5, gamopetalous, tubular, bilobed, valvet aestivation.
Androecium: stamens – 5, polyandrous, syngenesious, epipetalous, Anther – dithecus, basifixed,
introse.
gynoecium: Carpels – 2, bicarpellary, syncarpous, Ovary – inferiorm unilocular, basal placentation,
Style-long, Stigma-bifid.
Fruit: cypsela
Seed: dicotyledenous, nonendospermic
Floral formula
Floral diagram
Systemic position:
Class
Subclass
Series
Order
Family
Dicotyledonae
Gamopetalous
Inferae
Asterales
Compositae
Diagnostic characters: Leaves simple or comound, opposite or whorled. Inflorescence Head or
capitulum. Flower - bracteate, epigynous, Two types-ray and disc florets. Sepals rudimentary or
hairy or scaly, 2-5. Petals – 2-5, gamopetalous. Stamens absent in ray florets but stamens – 5 in disc
florets, polyandrous, syngenesious. Carpels – 2, bicarpellary, syncarpous. Ovary – inferior,
uniclocular, basal placentation, Stigma – bifid.
Family 5 – Graminae (Poaceae)
The Graminae family is also known as grass family. There are about 530 genera and 5200
species. They are widely distributed,
Some economically important members are:
Triticum aestivum, WHEAT - Important cereal crop
Oryza sativa, RICE - Important cereal crop
Zea mays, MAIZ - Important cereal crop
Cynodon dactylon, DUBO - important religious and medicinal plant
Saccharrum officinarum, SUGARCANE - Important for sugar
Bambusa arundinaceae. BAMBOO - Important medicinal and wood plant
Habit/habitat: Annual herbs or sometimes perennial shrubs, mesophytic, wild or
cultivated.
Root: Fibrous root and branched or adventitious
Stem: Erect or prostrate, runner, aerial, herbaceous or woody, fistular or solid, cylindrical,
glabrous or hairy, branched or unbranched.
Leaf: Exstipulate, sessile, simple, alternate, leaf is divided into two parts. Lower part is
thick leaf sheath, which covers internode, and upper part is thin leaf blade. Its
inner surface is glabrous and outer is rough or hairy. At the base of blade, there is
a membranous colourless hairy structure called lugule and two sickle shaped
structures called auricle. Leaf blade is long narrow, lanceolate, acute or
accumunate, parallel venation.
Inflorescence: Spike or panical of spikelet. Each spikelet consists of sterile bract called
glume. Each glume is boat shaped with thick mid nerve.
Flowers: Bracteate, sessile, incomplete, hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, sygomorphic,
hypogynous. Each flower consists fo two covers the outer lemma and inner
palea. The lemma bears stiff thread like outgrowth called awn. The lemma and
palea encloses androecium and gynoecium.
Perianth: When calyx and corolla is not differentiated then it is called perianth. It is
represented by two or three membranous lodicules.
Androecium: Stamens 3 or 6, polyandrous. Anther – dithecus, versatile
Gynoecium: Carpel – 1, monocarpellary, sometimes carpels – 3, tricarpellary,
syncarpous. Ovary – superior, unilocular, basal placentation. Stigma – feathery and bifid
Fruit: caryopsis
Seed: endospermic, monocotyledonous
Floral formula
Floral diagram
Systematic position
Class
monocotyledonae
Series:
Glumaceae
Family:
Graminae
Diagnostic Charaters
Root - adventitious or fibrous. Stem - erect and cylindrical. Leaves narrow, lanceolate, parallel venation and consisting of leaf sheath
and leaf blade. Inflorescence - spike of spikelets. Perianth is
represented by 2 or 3 lodicules. Stamens – 3 or 6, polyandrous. Anther
dithecus, versatile, Carpels – 1 or 3, syancarpus, Ovary superior, basal
plancentation, stigma feathery and bifid, fruit caryopsis.