Orchidaceae -- the orchid family (835/20,000-30,000; mostly tropics but also in temperate latitudes)

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Orchidaceae -- the orchid family
(835/20,000-30,000 mostly tropics but also in
temperate latitudes)
Monocots I
Habit herbs, terrestrial, often epiphytic
succulence stems often modified into fleshy
pseudobulbs adventitious roots Leaves alternate
or all basal (opposite, whorled) simple leaf
bases with distinctive closed sheath surrounding
stem parallel venation Inflorescences spikes,
racemes, panicles, or flowers solitary Special
floral characters flowers highly zygomorphic,
flower is turned upside down (resupinate) as it
develops so the labellum is on the bottom Calyx 3
sepals distinct or connate often
petaloid Corolla 3 petals distinct or connate,
with the third petal (lip or labellum) usually
elaborated in some way Androecium 1 or 2 (3)
stamens, adnate to stigma and style forming a
column anther(s) with pollinia, pollinia
covered by cap-like rostellum Gynoecium 3
carpels, connate inferior with 1 locule with
many many extremely teeny tiny parietal ovules
(rarely 3 locules and many many extremely teeny
tiny axile ovules) style 1, massive, adnate to
androecium forming column, stigmatic surfaces
variously positioned Fruit capsule with tiny,
nonendospermous seeds (Floral formula Ca 3 Co
3 A 1-2 G 3 )
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Orchidaceae -- comments
Monocots I
Notable Genera Many ornamentals such as
Cattleya, Dendrobium,and Epidendrum including
temperate species such as Cypripedium and
Paphiopedilum (lady-slipper orchids). Vanilla is
extracted from fermented capules of Vanilla
planifolia. Comments The androecium and parts of
the gynoecium in this family have been highly
modified in such a way that many, many, many,
many pollen grains are delivered as a single
package to the stigmatic surface usually by a
pollinator. This means that if a flower is
pollinated, then all the teeny, tiny ovules that
have formed in the ovary will be fertilized. You
can think of this as an all-or-nothing
pollination strategy. The aerial roots in many
epiphytic orchids have a special layer on the
outside called velamen. This non-living layer,
which is a multiple epidermis, seals in moisture
and acts as protective layer for the roots.
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Iridaceae -- the iris family (60-88/1,500
cosmopolitan, most diverse in Africa)
Monocots I
Habit herbs or sometimes shrub-like Leaves
alternate or basal simple, entire leaf bases
usually equitant parallel venation Inflorescences
cymes, umbels, spikes, panicles, or flowers
solitary flowers often enclosed or subtended by
1 or more spathes (i.e. bracts) Special floral
characters flowers perfect and showy, regular or
irregular, hypanthium usually well-developed
some genera have petaloid stigmas that are
situated above a sepal in such a way that the
stamen is between the stigma and sepal Calyx 3
sepals distinct or connate sometimes resembling
the petals Corolla 3 petals distinct or connate
if unable to distinguish from sepals, the
perianth has tepals Androecium 3 stamens
distinct or filaments sometimes connate adnate
to hypanthium anthers basifixed Gynoecium 3
carpels, connate inferior (rarely superior) with
3 locules and many axile ovules style 1,
undivided or three-lobed, free or adnate to
hypanthium, stigmas sometimes petaloid Fruit
capsule (Floral formula Ca 3 Co 3 A 3 G
3 )
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Iridaceae -- comments
Monocots I
Some Genera Iris, Gladiolus, Sisyrinchium,
Freesia, Crocus Many important ornamentals in
this family!! If you want to see beautiful
arrangements, try visiting an iris show. Iris
fanciers have bred an impressive array of colors,
shapes and sizes in their favorite
flowers. Products Saffron dye and spice from
Crocus sativa (do you know which part?) and orris
root from rhizomes of Iris spp. Some members of
this family are also important for the perfume
industry. Comments The basifixed anthers and
inferior ovary of this family are two features
that can help you distinguish them from members
of the Liliaceae (which have versatile anthers
and usually have a superior ovary).
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Araceae -- the arum family (110/1800-2450
cosmopoliton, mostly in tropics and subtropics)
ß-family Monocots I
Habit herbs, shrubs or vines terrestrial or
often semi-epiphytic vining members may be
woody adventitious roots especially
evident Leaves alternate simple to pinnately or
palmately lobed or compound blades with pinnate
venation and usually long petiole that is
sheathing to some degree sometimes a bladeless
deciduous sheathing leaf (prophyll) basally
encloses each foliage leaf Inflorescences fleshy
spike, the spadix, surrounded or subtended by a
conspicuous spathe Special floral characters
flowers small Perianth 0, 4 or 6 tepals distinct
or connate Androecium 1, 2, 4 or 8 stamens
distinct or connate filaments short or anthers
sessile Gynoecium 1-many carpels, connate
superior or inferior (sunken into flesh of
spadix) with 1-many locules and 1-many axile,
parietal, marginal, basal or apical ovules style
1, short or stigma sessile Fruit berry (Floral
formula T 0 or 4-6 A 4-10 G 2-4 )
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Bromeliaceae -- the bromeliad family
(45-54/1,500-2,000 tropical to subtropical,
almost entirely New World)
ß-family Monocots I
Habit herbs (rarely shrubs or trees) usually
acaulescent often epiphytic, with some members
tank-epiphytes Leaves alternate, often in dense
basal rosette simple, basally sheathing
somewhat succulent often with spiny margins
parallel venation covered with distinctive
peltate or shielded hygroscopic
trichomes Inflorescences spikes, racemes, or
panicles Special floral characters flowers
subtended by brightly colored petaloid
bracts Calyx 3 sepals distinct or connate green
or petaloid Corolla 3 petals distinct or
connate Androecium 6 stamens distinct or
filaments connate at base free or adnate to
petals Gynoecium 3 carpels, connate superior to
inferior with 3 locules and many axile ovules
style 1, undivided Fruit capsule or berry,
sometimes a multiple fruit (e.g.
pineapple) (Floral formula Ca 3 Co 3 A 6
G 4 OR Ca 3 Co 3 A 6 G 3 )
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Bromeliaceae -- comments
ß-family Monocots I
Some Genera Guzmania, Tillandsia, Ananus,
Pitcairnia Products Ananus comosus (pineapple)
is a multiple fruit that lacks seeds because it
is a sterile triploid. Tillandsia usneoides
(spanish-moss) is dried and used as packing
material or upholstery stuffing. Various members
are grown as ornamentals, and fiber for cordage
is harvested from leaves of many genera.
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Arecaceae -- the palm family (200, 3000 Tropical
and warm temperate, a few cool temperate or
montane species)
Monocots I
Habit shrubs, woody vines and trees usually
unbranched Leaves alternate, often forming dense
terminal rosettes simple to compound, plicate
(folded like a fan) in bud sheathing
estipulate usually long-petiolate and very
large Inflorescences spikes, racemes, heads,
cymes or large panicles basally subtended one or
more spathes Special floral characters
hypanthium sometimes present Calyx 3 (2-4) sepals
distinct or connate Corolla 3 (2-4) petals
distinct or connate often sepaloid in
appearance Androecium 6 (3 or 7-many) stamens
distinct or filaments connate adnate to
corolla or hypanthium Gynoecium 3 (1-10)
carpels, distinct or connate superior with 1-3
locules and 1 basal or apical ovule/locule OR 1
locule and 1 basal or marginal ovule/carpel
styles 3, sometimes basally connate or stigmas
sessile Fruit usually a one-seeded drupe or
berry, sometimes coalescent into fleshy
syncarp (Floral formula Ca 3 Co 3 A 6 G
3 or 3 )
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Arecaceae -- comments
Monocots I
Comments An extremely large and diverse
monocot family with many important agricultural
and ornamental species including Cocos nucifera
(coconut), Elaeis guineensis (oil palm), Phoenix
dactylifera (date palm), Washingtonia (fan
palms), and Roystonea (royal palm). Notice that
palm trees look woody, but they lack the taper of
dicot tree (they are the same thickness at the
base as at the top). Wood in the palm family
is produced by a primary thickening meristem
(adds more primary growth near the apex), not by
a vascular cambium as you would find in a dicot
with secondary growth!
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Liliaceae -- the lily family (In the broad sense)
(22/485 Mostly Northern Hemisphere, greatest
diversity in Southeast Asia)
Monocots I
Habit herbs, shrubs, woody vines sometimes with
bulbs or rhizomes Leaves alternate, whorled or
all basal (opposite) simple usually with
sheathing bases, sometimes succulaent or reduced
to scales Inflorescences various, but are borne
terminally Special floral characters hypanthium
sometimes present Calyx 3 (2-5) sepals distinct
or basally adnate to petals, often
petaloid Corolla 3 (2-5 or more) petals distinct
or basally adnate to sepals mostly petaloid if
unable to distinguish from sepals, the perianth
has tepals Androecium 6 (3-12) stamens distinct
or filaments connate free or adnate to
hypanthium anthers versatile (centrally
attached and hinged) Gynoecium 3 (2-5) carpels,
connate or only connate at base superior (rarely
inferior or half- inferior) with 3 locules and
1-many axile ovules/locule (rarely 1 locule with
1-many parietal ovules) styles 3 (4-5), or 1
and entire or lobed, or stigma sessile Fruit
capsule, berry or samara (Floral formula Ca 3
Co 3 A 6 G 3 )