General Account and Diagnostic Features of

the Families :Fabaceae, Cucurbitaceae,

Umbelliferae and Compositae

Submitted By: Dr. Madhumita BhattacharjeeAssistant Professor Botany Deptt.Post Graduate Govt. Girls College Sector -11, Chandigarh

Family Fabaceae

Classification

Class: Dicotyledones

Sub-Class : Polypetalae

Series : Calciflorae

Order : Rosales

Family : Fabaceae

•Fabaceae is a large and economically important family , which is commonly known as the legume family,

pea family, bean family or pulse family

•Fabaceae is the third largest family of flowering plants, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species.

•The species of this family are found throughout the world.

• A number are important agricultural plants, including: Glycine max (soybean), Phaseolus (beans), Pisum sativum (pea), Cicer arietinum (chickpeas), Arachis

hypogaea (peanut), and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)

Distribution

Three subfamilies Of Fabaceae :

Subfamily-Papilionaceae

Subfamily-Caesalpinieae

Subfamily-Mimoseae

Fabaceae - range in habit

• Sub family : Papilionaceae - from herbs (Melilotus ) or herbaceous climber (Pisum sativum)

• Sub family :Caesalpinieae - Mostly trees (Cassia fistula, Tamarindus indica• Sub family : Mimoseae - Mostly trees (Acacia)

LeavesThe leaves are usually alternate (pisum sativum)

In the Mimosoideae and the Caesalpinioideae commonly bipinnate (e.g.

Acacia, Mimosa).

They always have stipules, which can be leaf-like (e.g. Pisum),. Both the leaves and the leaflets often have wrinkled pulvinito permit nastic movements.

In some species, leaflets have evolved into tendrils (e.g. Vicia).

Subfamily- Papilionaceae (Lathyrus sp.)

Flower : bracteate ,complete, zygomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous &hypogynous.

Calyx : have five generally fused sepals

Corolla : five free petals. Corolla is paplionaceous

Androecium ;. There are normally ten stamens (9+1)

Gynoecium : one elongated superior ovary, with a curved style.

Fabaceae are typically entomophilous plants (i.e. they are pollinated by insects)

Subfamily-Papilionaceae

Lathyrus sp.

Diagnostic Features Of Papilionaceae

Flower zygomorphic

Gynoecium only one

Corolla papilionaceous with descending imbricate aestivation

Ovary monocarpellary

Subfamily-Caesalpinieae (Cassia Sp.)

Flower : large,bracteate ,complete, zygomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous & hypogynous.

Calyx : have five generally fused at base

Corolla : five free petals ,alternate with sepals.

Androecium : There are normally ten stamens. diplostemonous with 2 alternate whorls of 5 stamens each.

Gynoecium : one elongated superior ovary,,unilocular ovary with marginal placentation..

Subfamily-Caesalpinieae

Cassia Sp.

Diagnostic Features Of Caesalpiniaceae

Flower zygomorphic

Corolla with ascending imbricate aestivation

Gynoecium usually monocarpellary

Flower : minute, condenced, bracteate,sessile ,comp lete, actinomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous & hypogynous. Calyx : have five generally united into a small tube .

Corolla : five free petals, subconnate at base ,alternate with sepals.

Androecium ;. There are numerous stamens,which are free. The anthers are dithecous, introrse.

Gynoecium : one superior ovary,,unilocular ovary with marginal placentation..

Subfamily- Mimoseae

Subfamily- Mimoseae (Acacia Sp. )

Subfamily- Mimoseae (Acacia Sp. )

Diagnostic Features Of Mimosaceae

Flower actinomorphic

Gynoecium usually one & superior

Corolla valvate

Fruit lomentum

FAMILY CUCURBITACEAE

ClassificationClass: Dicotyledones

Sub-Class : Polypetalae

Series : Calciflorae

Order : Passiflorales

Family : Cucurbitaceae

• Cucurbitaceae is a plant family commonly known as melons, gourds or cucurbits .

• It includes crops like cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, luffas, melons and watermelons.

• The family is predominantly distributed around the tropics.

• Family consist of 110 genera & 640 Species.

Distribution

The Cucurbits are mostly prostrate or climbing herbaceous annuals

Habit

• Stem : Usually herbaceous, branched, hairy that are further characterized by having

5-angled stems and coiled tendrils.

• Leaves :The leaves are alternate and usually palmately 5-lobed or divided;

stipules are absent.

Vegetative characters

Floral Characters

• Flower: Yellow or white, actinomorphic, pentamerous,

epigynous and always unisexual.

• Calyx : 5 sepals forming a tube with imbricate or valvate aestivation.

• Corolla : 5 petals ,sympetalous corolla.

Floral Characters

•The Androecium is highly variable, consisting of 5 distinct to completely connate stamens that frequently are twisted.

• Gynoecium :The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2-5 carpels, generally with one style An inferior ovary with one locule and usually numerous ovules on 2-5 parietal placentae .

• Fruit :The fruit is a type of berry called a pepo

Androecium

Fruit

Luffa sp.

Luffa sp.

Diagnostic Features Of Cucurbitaceae

Flower usually unisexual

Stamens 5

Carpel usually 3,stigma forked

Fruit pepo

Family Umbelliferae

Classification

Class: Dicotyledones

Sub-Class : Polypetalae

Series : Calciflorae

Order : Umbellales

Family : Umbelliferae ( Apiaceae)

•The Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, commonly known as umbellifers.

•It includes cumin, parsley, anise, carrot, corianderl, caraway, fennel.

•It is a large family with about 300 genera and more than 3,000 species •The earlier name Umbelliferae derives from the inflorescence being generally in the form of a compound "umbel“.

•In India it is found in the temperate & alpine Himalayas

Distribution

Habit

The Umbellifers are mostly biennial or perennial herbs

Stem : The stems are often furrowed. Some part of the plant will usually have a strong aroma. These aromas of carrot, parsley, coriander, parsnip, celery, fennel, dill and anise are due primarily to various oils produced by the plant.

Leaves :The leaves are alternate,but generraly pinnately compound.The petiole is often swollen & sheathing at the base

Vegetative characters

Floral Characters

Inflorescence (umbel)

The compound flowers are almost always concentrated in flat-topped umbels; the rays of the primary umbel giving rise to a secondary unbel with the flower-bearing pedicels

Seed :The seeds and fruit form below where the petals and stamen originate. Seeds are in tight pairs, often conspicuously ribbed,

and sometime "winged".

Floral Characters Flower : Small, actinomorphic, bisexual,pentamerous

and epigynous

Calyx : Represented by 5 inconspicuous teeth at the top of ovary.

Corolla : 5 petals with imbricate aestivation.

Androecial: 5 stamens,dorsifixed, dithecous,&introrse

Gynoecium: Bicarpellary,syncarpous with inferior ovary. Axile placentation,a stylopodium is present on the top of ovary

•Coriander is an annual herbin the family Apiaceae. It is also known as Chinese parsley or, particularly in the Americas, cilantro.

• Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia.

•It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall.

• The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems.

•The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink. The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp3–5 mm diameter.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Diagnostic Features Of Umbelliferae (Apiaceae)

Stems fistular

Leaves alternate, exstipulate, much dissected with sheathing leaf base

Carpels 2,fused,with 2 style on swollen base (stylopodium)

Fruit schizocarpic,splitting into 2mericarps

Family Asteraceae (Compositae)

Classification

Class: Dicotyledones

Sub-Class : Polypetalae

Series : Calciflorae

Order : Asterales

Family : Asteraceae (Compositae)

•The Asteraceae or Compositae, also referred to as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family,

•It is one of the largest family of flowering plants .The family has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera, and 12 subfamilies.Ex: Sunflower, Marigold, lettuce ,carrot grass

• The largest genera are Senecio (1,500 species), Vernonia(1,000 species), Cousinia (600 species) and Centaurea(600 species)

• The plants of this family are chiefly found in the Himalayas & mountains of Southern & western India.

Distribution

Habit

Plants are mostly annual or perennial herbs

Vegetative characters

Stem : Some sp. Produce stem tuber and some has tuberous root. The root & stems contains oil passages

Leaves :Leaves are alternate or whorled, simpleor pinnately or palmately compound, exstipulate

The most evident characteristic of Asteraceae is their inflorescence: a specialised capitulum, but generally referred to as flower head . The capitulum is composed of numerous individual sessile flowers called the florets, all sharing the same receptacle.

Inflorescence (capitulum)

• In the sunflower family (Asteraceae), what looks like a single flower is actually a flower head composed of many small flowers.

• Each flower has sepals (modified into pappus), petals, stamens, and a pistil.

• In a typical member of the sunflower family, there are two different types of flowers. The "petals" that are around the edge of the flower head are the ray flowers. In the center of the flower head are many disk flowers.

• The base of the flower head is the receptacle. • Some plants have only disk flowers. Other plants, such as

dandelions have only ray flowers.

Inflorescence

• . Flowers : Mostly bisexual,sometimes unisexual or neutral,pentamerous and epigynous.

• Calyx :The calyx of the florets may be absent, but when present it is always modified into a pappus of two or more teeth.

• Corolla: The florets have five petals fused at the base to form a corolla tube. Disc florets are usually actinomorphic..

Ray florets are always highly zygomorphic and have a ligule, a strap-shaped structure.

• Androecium ;There are usually five stamens. The filaments are fused to the corolla, while the anthers are fused(syngenesious anthers).

• Gynoecium :The pistil is made of two connate carpels. The style has two lobes. The ovary is inferior and has only one ovule, with basal placentation.

Floral Characters

Helianthus Sp.

Helianthus Sp.

Ageratum sp.

Ageratum sp.

Diagnostic Features Of Compositae (Asteraceae)

Leaves generally alternate.

Inflorescence Capitulum.

Calyx reduced to hairy pappus.

Stamens epipetalous & syngenecious

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