Study of diff families if angiosperms. Liliaceae : Asphodelus/Asparagus Gramineae (Poaceae) : Triticum Ranunculaceae : Ranunculus and Delphinium Brassicaceae : Brassica

2. Characteristics of Liliaceae Family
Following are the important characteristics of liliaceae family.
Vegetative Characters
•Root: Fibrous root system.
•Stem: Erect; Liliaceae includes perennial herbs which propagate through
bulbs or rhizomes.
•Leaves: Alternate, simple; exstipulate; parallel venation.
Floral characters
•Inflorescence: Cymose- solitary; umbellate clusters.
•Flower: Complete, bisexual, actinomorphic; hypogynous, perianth present.
•Perianth: Indistinctive sepal and petal; six petals (3+3), often united
sepals; valvate aestivation.
•Androecium: Six stamens in two whorls (3+3).
•Gynoecium: Syncarpous, tricarpellary, trilocular, superior ovary with axile
placentation.
•Fruit: Berry or often Capsule.
•Seed: Endospermic seeds.

3. Asphodelus tenuifolius
Habit:
An annual weed.
Root:
Adventitious, fibrous.
Stem:
Compressed, herbaceous, without nodes and internodes, smooth, greenish
brown, aerial, peduncles are erect and fistular.
Leaves:
Radical, simple, cylindrical, green, pointed, smooth, apex
acute, exstiuplate, sessile, sheathing leaf-base, parallel
venation.
Inflorescence:
Panicled raceme, borne on branched leafless scape.
Flower:
Bracteate, pedicellate, complete, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite,
hypogynous, trimerous.
Perianth:
Tepals 6 in two whorls of 3 each, large, petaloid, polyphyllous,
sometimes slightly fused at the base, imbricate aestivation, inferior.

4. Androecium:
Stamens 6, epiphyllous, in two whorls of 3 each, polyandrous, anthers
dithecous; dorsifixed or versatile inferior.
Gynoecium:
Tricarpellary, syncarpous, tilocular, axile placentation, 2 ovules per loculus,
ovary superior, style slender, filiform, stigma trilobed, yellow.
Fruit:
Loculicidal capsule.
Floral formula:

5. Poaceae (Grass Family)
Diagnostic characters
1. Habit: Annual or perennial herbs; rarely tree (bamboos.
2.Roots: Fibious adventitidus.
3.Stem: Herbaceous; cylindrical; jointed, hollow at intemodes. Sometimes, forms rhizome
or runner.
4.Leaves: Sessile with long sheathing base; alternate; simple; ligulate; parallel venation.
5.nflorescence: Spike of spikelets or panicles of spiklets. Each spiklet is composed of
2-5 flowers. It is enclosed by a pair of bracts called glumes.
Spike of spikelets: The spiklets form dense clusters in sessile manner on main axis as in
wheat.
Panicles of spikelets: The spiklets are arranged on a branched axis-panicle as in oat.
6.Flower: Pedicillate; bracteate, two bracts palea and lemma enclose flower or floret;
lemma contain bristle like awns zygomorphic; incomplete; unisexual or hermaphrodite;
hypogynous.
7.Perianth: Represented by two or three scale like lodicules.
8.Androecium: 3 stamens, sometimes 1,2 or 6; polyandrous; anther versatile.
9.Gynoecium: Monocarpillary; unilocular; ovary superior; stigma usually 2; feathery;
basal placentation.
10.Fruits: Caryopsis
11.Seed: Endospermic.

6. Triticum aestivum
Habit:
A cultivated annual crop plant.
Root:
Adventitious.
Stem:
Herbaceous, erect, cylindrical, fistular, with distinct nodes and internodes,
unbranched, glabrous, a number of tillers.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, green, exstipulate, entire margin, acute apex,
sheathing leaf base, at the junction of leaf-sheath and leaf-blade
membranous ligule present, parallel venation.
Inflorescence:
Spike of spikelets.
Flower:
Bracteate, sessile, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, incomplete,
hypogynous, flower lies between superior and inferior palea.
Perianth:
2 membranous scales – the lodicules.

7. Androecium:
Stamens 3, polyandrous, filament long, anthers dorsifixed when young and versatile
when mature.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellary, theoritically tricarpellary, ovary superior, unilocular, single ovule, basal
placentation, style short; stigma 2, feathery.
Floral formula:

8. Ranunculaceae family
Habit:
The plants are annual or perennial herbs or a climbing shrubs (Clematis,
Naravelia), rarely trees. They perennate by means of tuberous roots
(Aconitum) or rhizomes.
Root:
Tap root, adventitious or tuberous (Ranunculus spp. and Aconitum).
The tap root system is in the initial stage but sooner or later replaced
by the adventitious roots.
Stem:
Herbaceous, in some climbing (Clematis) or underground
rhizome or erect, branched.
Leaves:
Generally simple, alternate, or opposite (Clematis) exstipulate rarely stipulate
(Thalictrum), sheathing leaf base, petiolate rarely sessile (Delphinium). In
some aquatic species leaves may show dimorphy (Ranunculus aquatilis);
unicostate or multicostate reticulate venation.
Inflorescence:
Solitary terminal (Anemone), axillary (Clematis), raceme (Aconitum,
Delphinium) and cymose (Ranunculus spp.).

9. Flower:
Pedicellate, ebracteate rarely bracteate, hermaphrodite, (unisexual in Thalictrum). Mostly
actinomorphic (Ranunculus) rarely zygomorphic (Delphinium and Aconitum) hypogynous, complete,
pentamerous.
Calyx:
There is no distinction of calyx and corolla in most of the flowers. Sepals 5, caducous, polysepalous,
petaloid, imbricate or valvate aestivation.
Corolla:
Petals 5, polypetalous, variously coloured, caducous or wanting; nectaries present at the base of petals.
Petals are united to form spur (Delphinium).
Androecium:
Stamens indefinite, polyandrous, spirally arranged on the thalamus, inferior; anthers dithecous,
extrorse and adnate.
Gynoecium
Polycarpellary (one carpel in Delphinium and 3 to 5 in Aconitum), apocarpous rarely syncarpous (Nigella),
ovary superior, marginal placentation (axile in Nigella).
Fruit:
Aggregate, etario of achenes (Ranunculus), etario of follicle (Aconitum), follicle (Delphinium), septicidal
capsule (Nigella) or berry (Actaea), etario of drupes (Adonis), etario of berries (Hydrastis) and simple pod
(Xanthorhiza).

10. Ranunculus Muricatus
(Buttercup):
Habit:
An erect annual herb, wild, occurring in shady and damp localities, like river and
canal banks. Flowers appearing in winter and spring.
Root:
Tap-root, short- lived, replaced by branched and fibrous adventitious roots.
Stem:
Herbaceous, green erect, cylindrical, fistular, branched, and glabrous.
Leaf:
Radial, when cauline and ramal, alternate, petiolate, leaf base sheathing,
exstipulate, simple, palmatifid, multicostate, reticulate, cordate, lobes irregular or
dentate, rounded, obtuse, glabrous, herbaceous.
Calyx:
Fie, polypetalous, bright- yellow, obovate, each petal having a pocket- shaped
nectary at the base on the upper surface, imbricate, inferior.
Androecium:
Indefinite, polyandrous, spirally arranged, filaments long, anthers basifixed, dehiscing by lateral slits, yellow,
inferior.
Gynoecium:
Polycarpellary apocarpous, superior, Unilocular with a single oule; Placentation basal; style short; stigma beaked.
Fruits:
Etaerio of achenes, achenes broad, flat with spinous or blunt tubercles, sometimes smooth.

11. Delphinium ajacis
A cultivated ornamental annual herb that flowers in February-April. The calyx and corolla is
characterized by presence of spur.
Root:
Tap root, branched and fibrous.
Stem:
Erect, herbaceous, green, cylindrical, fistular, glabrous, branched.
Leaf:
Simple, Cauline and Ramal, Palmately lobed and much dissected, Sessile, Exstipulate, Reticulate
unicostate, hairy.
Inflorescence:
Racemose – A typical raceme.
Flower:
Pedicellate, Bracteate, Bracteolate (two bracteoles), Bisexual, Complete, Zygomorphic,
Hypogynous, Violet in color.
Calyx:
5 Sepals, Polysepalous, Petaloid, Posterior sepal forms a long spur, inferior.
Corolla:
4 Petals, Gamopetalous, the two posterior petals small and extends into a long spur which enters the
spur formed by the sepal and the remaining two lobes are larger in size and enclose the essential
organs, Blue or violet color.

12. Androecium:
Stamens, indefinite, Stamens arranged spirally in five groups of three stamens each alternating with the petals,
Polyandrous, Filaments flattened at base, Anthers basifixed.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellary, Ovary superior and unilocular, Placentation: marginal.
Fruit:
Follicle
Floral Formula: K5 C5 A∞ G1

13. Habit:
Generally herbs, annual (Brassica, Capsella) or biennial or shrubs. Common Indian herbs
are Eruca, Alyssum, Nasturtium, Lepidium, Coronopus etc. Vegetative reproduction is by
bulbils (Dentaria bulbifera) or by coral roots
Brassicaceae:
Roots:
Tap root, swollen on account of stored food materials. It may be conical
(Radish), fusiform or napiform (Turnip).
Stem:
Herbaceous, erect, cylindrical (Iberis, Brassica) rarely woody or some
times reduced (Raphanus & Brassica species), glabrous or hairy, solid
and branched.
Leaves:
Alternate or sub-opposite, simple, exstipulate (Brassica campestris). May
be cauline or radical (Raphanus), generally sessile, hairy, entire and with
unicostate reticulate venation
Inflorescence:
Raceme (Brassica campestris) corymbose raceme (Iberis) or corymb.

14. Flower:
Pedicellate, ebracteate, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic rarely zygomorphic (Iberis and Teesdalia),
hypogynous, complete or incomplete (Lepidium) and tetramerous.
Calyx:
Sepals 4 arranged in two whorls of two each, polysepalous (2 antero-posterior and 2 lateral), 2
lateral sepals may be saccate, imbricate aestivation, inferior.
Corolla:
Petals 4, alternate with sepals, polypetalous, petals arranged in the form of across known as cruciform. This
arrangement is characteristic of the family Petals usually clawed, petals generally equal rarely unequal (Iberis,
Teesdalia) or sometimes petals may be replaced by stamens (Capsella bursa pastoris).
Androecium:
Stamens 6, arranged in two whorls, outer two stamens short and inner four long (2+4), tetradynamous,
polyandrous, anthers dithecous basifixed, introrse. Disc like nectaries, variable in number, present at the base of
stamens. In some cases the number of stamens is variable – 16 (Megacarpaea), 4 (Cardamine hirsuta), 2
(Coronopus) etc.
Gynoecium:
Bicarpellary rarely tricarpellary (Lepidium sativum), syncarpous, ovary superior, unilocular, becomes bilocular
due to the development of false septum called replum: parietal placentation, ovules many, style short, stigma
simple or bifid. The crucifer carpel has been a puzzling subject for the morphologists and their attention
attracted towards its for a long time. According to some there are only two carpels while others hold that there
are four carpels.

15. Fruit:
Siliqua or silicula, sometimes lomentum (Raphanus); when the valves separate in a siliqua the seeds remain
attached to the replum.
Seed:
Ex-albuminous. The germination of seed is epigeal.
Brassica campestris (Yellow mustard – sarson)
Habitat:
Cultivated herb grown during cold season. The plant flowers during spring. Brassica is used as vegetable and
its seeds yield oil.
Root:
Tap root, branched.
Stem:
Herbaceous above and woody below, erect, branched, cylindrical, slightly hairy.
Leaf:
Radical, cauline and ramal, simple, sessile, alternate, exstipulate, reticulate, unicostate, upper leaves entire
while lower ones lyrate, sessile, hairy.
Inflorescence:
Racemose – A typical raceme below and corymbose above.
Flower:
Ebracteate, pedicellate, complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, tetramerous, hypogynous, yellow in color.

16. Calyx:
Four sepals, polysepalous, seplas arranged in two whorls of two each, sepals of inner whorl are
longer, slightly petaloid, acute, inferior.
Corolla:
Four petals, polypetalous, each petal consists of a limb and a claw, cruciform, inferior, yellow.
Androecium:
Six stamens, polyandrous, Tetradynamous (4 inner long and 2 outer short), anthers basifixed, four green disk like
nectries present at the base, inferior.
Gynoecium:
Bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovary superior, unilocular but becomes bilocular due to development of a false septum,
placentation parietal, stigma bilobed, ovule numerous, stigma bifid.
Fruit:
Siliqua