Ericaceae -- the heather or blueberry family (116 /3,500; cospmopolitan)

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Ericaceae -- the heather or blueberry family
(116/3,500 cospmopolitan)
Dilleniidae
Habit herbs, shrubs, or trees often with
evergreen leaves, some members (e.g., Monotropa)
are achlorophyllous and parasitic Leaves
alternate, simple, estipulate Inflorescences
various Special floral characteristics flowers
often urceolate or campanulate, anthers have
pseudo-apical pores (the pores are actually
basal, the stamens invert during development),
nectary disk usually present Calyx 5 (4-7)
sepals, distinct or connate Corolla 5 (4-7)
petals, connate Androecium 10 stamens, distinct
can be basally adnate to corolla
(epipetalous) Gynoecium 2-10 carpels, connate
ovary superior or inferior with 2-10 locules and
1-many axile ovules style 1, undivided Fruit
capsule, berry, drupe (Floral formula Ca 5
Co 5 A 10 G 2-10 )
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Ericaceae -- comments
Dilleniidae
Some members include Vaccinium (blueberry,
cranberry, deerberry, etc), Rhododendron
(rhododendron, azalea), Erica (heather),
Monotropa (indian-pipe), Gaultheria
(wintergreen), Pyrola, etc. Notes Evergreen
shrubs (or herbs) with 5-merous flowers,
urceolate or campanulate corolla, and stamens
with pseudo-apical pores are a combination of
characters that will diagnose most members of the
family. Common in acidic habitats, including
bogs, pine-barrens, etc.
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Malvaceae -- the mallow family (100/1,500
Cosmopolitan, most diverse in Neotropics)
Dilleniidae
Habit herbs, shrubs, or trees often with
stellate pubescence, and mucilaginous sap Leaves
alternate, simple, stipulate, often
palmately-veined Inflorescences various, usually
determinate Special floral characteristics
flowers actinomorphic, often showy
monadelphous stamens anthers unilocular Calyx
5 sepals, distinct or connate often subtended by
an epicalyx Corolla 5 petals, distinct,
individually adnate to stamen column Androecium
many stamens, filaments connate into tube
(monadelphous) around pistil anthers
unilocular Gynoecium 4-many carpels, connate
ovary superior with 4-many locules and 1-many
axile ovules style 1, often divided Fruit
schizocarp (breaking into1-2-seeded mericarps) or
a capsule (berry) (Floral formula Ca 5 Co 5
A ? G 3-? )
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Cucurbitaceae -- the gourd family (90/700,
Distribution Widespread tropical, subtropical,
and a few temperate)
Dilleniidae
Habit vines, herbs climbing with tendrils with
coarse pubescence Leaves alternate, simple to
deeply lobed, estipulate, mostly palmately-veined
Inflorescences solitary or variously cymose,
sometimes paniculate or racemose Special floral
characteristics flowers imperfect generally
yellow male flowers have variously connate
stamens (often appear as 3 stamens two pairs
fused, one free) nectary disk usually
present Calyx 5 sepals, distinct or variously
connate or very reduced Corolla 5 petals,
connate regular (can be deeply lobed and appear
distinct) Androecium 5 stamens. distinct or
variously connate Gynoecium 2-5 carpels, connate
ovary inferior with 1 locule many parietal
ovules or 2-5 locules and 1-many axile ovules
style 1, simple or lobed Fruit berry, pepo,
capsule or achene (Floral formula Ca 5 Co 5
A 5 G 0 // Ca 5 Co 5 A 0 G 3
)
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Cucurbitaceae -- comments
Dilleniidae
Some members Cayaponia, Cucumis, Cucurbita,
Cyclanthera, Gurania, Luffa, Sechium, Sicyos,
Marah, etc. Comments Although many are
inedible, we commonly eat members of Cucumis
(cucumber and melons) and Cucurbita (squash and
pumpkin). Several members display the CAM
metabolism we find more common in members of the
Caryophyllidae. Male flowers often develop
earlier than females, leading to an increase in
outcrossing.
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Brassicaceae -- the mustard family (350/3000,
Distribution Huge family in the temperate areas
of the Northern Hemisphere)
Dilleniidae
Habit herbs (sometimes woody or even
shrubby) Leaves alternate, simple to pinnately
lobed to compound, estipulate Inflorescences
racemes Special floral characteristics flowers
extremely distinctive with 4 cruciform petals
and sepals, tetradynamous stamens, fruit a
peculiar capsule (silique if 3 X longer than
wide OR silicle) Calyx 4 sepals, distinct
Corolla 4 petals, distinct Androecium 6 stamens
4 with long filaments and 2 with short filaments
(tetradynamous), distinct Gynoecium 2
carpels, connate ovary superior with 2 locules
1-many parietal ovules, false membranous septum
(replum) divides ovary style 1 Fruit silicle,
silique, sometimes indehiscent (Floral formula
Ca 4 Co 4 A 42 G 2 )
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Dilleniidae
Brassicaceae -- comments Some members Caramine,
Draba, Arabis, Brassica, Sinapis, Lunaria,
Alyssum, Nasturium, Amoracia, Thalaspi, Hesperis,
etc, etc. Comments A large taxonomically
complex and confusing family which appears to
comprise a well marked natural lineage. Despite
the clear monophyly of the group, relationships
within the family are difficult primarily due to
the apparent lack of morphological characters and
homoplasy among these characters. The many
economically important species include Amoracia
(horseradish), Brassica (cabbage, cauliflower,
ale, white and black mustard, Brussels sprouts,
broccoli, turnip, etc.), Raphanus (radish),
Nasturium (water cress)
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Primulaceae -- the primrose family (23-30/1000
widespread in temperate regions)
ß -family Dilleniidae
Habit herbs Leaves alternate, opposite or
whorled, sometimes all basal, simple,
estipulate Inflorescences various Special floral
characteristics some members have petals flaring
backwards Calyx 5 (4-9) sepals, connate Corolla 5
(4-9) petals, connate (can appear distinct due to
short corolla tube) Androecium 5 (4-9) stamens,
distinct or connate opposite the petals
filaments adnate to corolla (sympetalous) Gynoec
ium 4-8 carpels, connate ovary superior with 1
locule and many free central ovules style 1,
undivided Fruit capsule, sometimes
circumscissile (Floral formula Ca 5 Co 5
A 5 G 5 )
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Theaceae -- the tea family (24-40/600
pantropical with species extending into temperate
regions of eastern Asia and eastern North
America)
ß -family Dilleniidae
Habit shrubs or trees Leaves alternate, simple,
estipulate Inflorescences mostly solitary Special
floral characteristics showy flowers, usually
fragrant Calyx 4-7 sepals, distinct or basally
connate Corolla 4-5 (-many) petals, distinct or
basally connate Androecium many stamens, distinct
or filaments basally connate in a ring or in
groups (fascicled), sometimes basally adnate to
corolla (sympetalous) Gynoecium 2-5 (6-many)
carpels, connate ovary superior with 2-5 locules
and 2- many axile ovules/locule styles 2-5
(6-many) distinct or variously connate OR 1 and
undivided Fruit capsule, drupe, berry or
achene (Floral formula Ca 5 Co 5 A ? G
5 )