BIOLOGY 3404F
EVOLUTION OF PLANTS
Fall 2008
Lecture 19
Thursday November 27, 2008
Selected Eudicots
Angiosperms
Approx. 380
families,
250,000
species
Judd et al.
2002. Plant
Systematics, a
phylogenetic
approach.
Ceratophyllum
Eudicots
From Judd & Olmstead 2004
Ranunculaceae: early eudicots
• Multiple floral parts (numerous stamens and
separate carpels)
Left to right, Ranunculus, Hepatica, Clematis
Fagales: oaks, birches, hazels
• Ectomycorrhizae!
The
inflorescences
of Fagaceae
(beeches and
oaks, left) and
Betulaceae
(birches,
hazels and
alders, right)
are catkins
Cactaceae: primitive flowers,
highly advanced vegetative parts
http://www.soul.org/BHC%20Gallery%20all%20files/Cactus-flower.jpg
Asteraceae: highly evolved
flowers and inflorescences
The Asteraceae is rich in genera
(1300+) and species (21,000+),
most living in sunny, warm, and
often dry environments. Most are
herbaceous, but some are trees!
The “flowers” of dandelions are inflorescences, called “heads”
The fruits of dandelions are carried aloft by plume-like modified calyx
Tendrils, in grape (Vitaceae): modified leaves or stems
Cactaceae: leaves modified as spines and stem as water reservoir
Thistle (Asteraceae) spines are modified leaves
Spines in hawthorns (Crataegus, Rosaceae) are modified branches
Tubers, as in potato (Solanaceae), are modified underground stems
Dwarf mistletoe, a parasitic plant; this is a “hemiparasite” because …
This indian pipe is a holoparasite, on an ectomycorrhizal fungus
Leaves of three, let them be … urushiol in poison ivy causes severe
histamine reactions (itching rashes and welts) in sensitive persons
Other secondary compounds, such as mescaline, are psychoactive
Cannabis sativa is used both for hemp fibre and cannabinols
Quinine, an antimalarial drug, comes from Chinchona (Rubiaceae)
Cocaine comes from the coca plant (Erythroxylum)
The heart drug digitoxin comes from the garden foxglove, Digitalis
Many eudicots are
important forest trees.
Aspens (Populus), seen
here, are used for pulp,
chipboard and chopsticks.
All of our important
hardwoods are eudicots
(e.g., maple, oak, birch,
elm, …) or basal
angiosperms (e.g.,
Liriodendron of the
Magnoliaceae, important in
the SE U.S.)
Some important eudicot crops
• Peas, beans, soybeans, alfalfa, peanuts (Fabaceae)
• Cabbage, broccoli, canola, mustard, turnip, radish
(Brassicaceae), beets (Chenopodiaceae)
• Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers (Solanaceae),
olives (Oleaceae)
• Apple, pear, cherry, plum, strawberry, almond
(Rosaceae), citrus (Rutaceae), grapes (Vitaceae)
• Cotton (Malvaceae), hemp (Moraceae)
• Coffee (Rubiaceae), tea (Theaceae)
• Lettuce, artichoke, sunflower (Asteracae)
Rice (a monocot in Poaceae) is
the world’s most important,
and perhaps the oldest crop
Peas (Pisum sativum in
Fabaceae) were also a very
early crop, grown 6,000
BC in Tigris-Euphrates
valley (Persia - modern
Iraq)
Cabbages (Brassicceae): the one in the centre has “bolted” - flowered
Cotton (Malvaceae)
Four families of root crops in Peru: potatoes (Solanaceae), añu
(Tropaeolum, nasturtium family) and ullucu (Basellaceae); not
shown is oca (Oxalis tuberosum, Oxalidaceae)
Rosaceae: the ovary is inferior, or below the calyx and corolla
The inferior ovary turns into the familiar rose fruits (including apples)
Vitis (Vitaceae), source of ..
Theobroma cacao (Sterculiaceae) is cauliflorous, and source of …
Coffea arabicum (Rubiaceae): where is it native to?
The sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, Chenopodiaceae) is a northern crop
Quinoa (Chenopodium
quinoa,
Chenopodiaceae) may
become an important
crop outside of the
alpine tropics, but
could also become a
major invasive weed
Manioc (also known as cassava or yuca; Manihot esculenta,
Euphorbiaceae), like many members of its family, contains
poisonous latex (milk), but is an important tropical crop
Importance
• Economic: HUGE! List some of the major eudicot
crops. What other products, other than food, do we
obtain from eudicots?
• Ecological: HUGE! Eudicot trees form the dominant
vegetation over large areas, particularly in the tropics.
• Evolutionary: Hugely successful (>175k species);
tremendous diversity and huge impact on evolution of
other groups organisms, from microbes to vertebrates;
coevolution with pollinators and herbivores; complete
genomes known for two model genetics systems:
Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae) and Lotus (Fabaceae).