Plants and People

Plants and People Major Families I

Eight Major Families Old Name

New Name

Common Name

Compositae

Asteraceae

Sunflower Family

Umbelliferae

Apiaceae

Carrot or Parsley Family

Cruciferae

Brassicaceae

Mustard or Cabbage Family

Labiatae

Lamiaceae

Mint Family

Liliaceae

Lily or Onion Family

Rosaceae

Rose Family

Solanaceae

Nightshade Family

Cucurbitaceae

Gourd Family

Asteraceae - Sunflower Family Defining Features: The family is marked by a head inflorescence (also called a capitulum) which consists of multiple small flowers termed “florets” on a common receptacle. The calyx is modified into a pappus. The stamens, when present, are united by their anthers. The fruit is an achene. The inflorescence is subtended by bracts called phyllaries, which together make up the involucre. There are two basic types of florets. Disc flowers are actinomorphic, while ray and ligulate flowers are zygomorphic.

disc

ray

ligulate

Asteraceae - Head Types Radiate: disc florets in the center, ray florets along the edge.

ovary

Asteraceae - Head Types Discoid: only disc florets

style stamens

5-fused petals

pappus

ovary

disc floret

This particular species has very long styles.

Asteraceae - Head Types Ligulate: only ligulate florets comprise the entire head.

Asteraceae - Sunflower Family Edible Genera: Artemisia tarragon, used as a spice in food, particularly chicken or fish

Cichorium chicory, roots are roasted and used as a coffee substitute. endive & radicchio, leaves which are edible as salad. Lactuca

lettuce, all varieties Cynara artichoke Helianthus sunflower oil, “seeds” Jerusalem artichoke

Asteraceae - Sunflower Family Other Notable Genera: Tanacetum coccineum pyrethrum or “painted daisy” is a natural insecticide

Eupatorium rugosum white snakeroot Helenium sneezeweed Senecio ragwort

poisonous pasture plants!

Apiaceae - Carrot Family Distinguishing Features: Members of this family form flowers in a dense, flat-topped cluster called an umbel. The number of sepals, petals and stamens of an individual flower are each five. The inferior ovary is made up of 2 carpels, with an ovule in each. After fertilization, the ovary develops into a schizocarp fruit. Also characteristic of plants in this family are the usually stem-sheathing petioles and the presence of aromatic oils in the leaves and fruit.

compound umbels

schizocarp

Apiaceae - Carrot Family Edible Genera: Anethum graveolens dill Apium graveolens celery (petiole, root) Carum carvi caraway, herb and spice with edible leaves a roots. Can be used medicinally as an antispasmodic Coriandrum sativum cilantro coriander Cuminum cyminum cumin

Apiaceae - Carrot Family Edible Genera: Daucus carota carrot, cultivar of the wild variety, grows a tap root during its first growing season and then produces flowers and seeds during the next Foeniculum vulgare

fennel, with edible petioles Pastinaca sativa parsnip Petroselinum crispum parsley Pimpinella anisum anise

Apiaceae - Carrot Family Other Notable Genera: Cicuta maculata water hemlock, the deadliest plant in North America affecting the central nervous system and causes paralysis of the lungs. A tiny piece is enough to kill a human, containing large amounts of cicutoxin Conium maculatum hemlock, also extremely deadly and is said to be the plant that killed Socrates Heracleum mantegazzianum giant hogweed, causes painful blisters on contact with human skin

Brassicaceae - Mustard Family Distinguishing Features: Leaves are alternate and simple. Flowers usually present in a raceme inflorescence, with individual flowers having 4 sepals, 4 diagonally opposed petals, and 6 stamens that are tetradynamous--4 long stamens and 2 outer short stamens. The ovary has two locules divided by a replum or false partition. The ovary produces specialized fruit, either the narrow silique or a short silicle in which the seeds are separated into two chambers by the replum.

silique

raceme various silicles

Brassicaceae - Mustard Family Edible Genera: Brassica

kohlrabi mustard canola oil (rape seed oil) cabbage, head of leaves kale, without a head cauliflower, flower buds brussels sprouts, axillary buds broccoli, flower buds rutabaga turnip chinese cabbage

bok choy

Brassicaceae - Mustard Family Edible Genera: Armoracia rusticana horseradish, root used to flavor foods Eruca stiva arugula Nasturtium officinale watercress Raphanus sativus radish daikon

Brassicaceae - Mustard Family Other Notable Genera: Isatis tinctoria dyer’s woad, used for its deep blue color

Alliaria petiolata garlic mustard is the scourge of the forest replacing many native wildflowers by shading them out of existence. One plant can produce several thousand seeds that are viable for seven years or more.

Cucurbitaceae - Gourd Family Distinguishing Features: Leaves are usually palmately veined and/or lobed. Plants in this family have separate male and female (imperfect) flowers, making them monoecious. The female flower’s pistil has an inferior ovary usually consisting of 3 carpels with a single locule with parietal placentation. The fruit is a pepo, which is a berry with a hard rind. A nectary disk is present in both sexes.

male

female

Cucurbitaceae - Gourd Family Edible Genera: Citrullus lanatus watermelon Cucumis cantaloupe honey-dew cucumber Cucurbita pumpkin squashes

Gourd? Squash? Pumpkin? Gourd—container, ornament; usually not eaten Lagenaria, Cucurbita, etc. Squash—eaten immature or mature as a side dish summer—immature; usually Cucurbita pepo winter—mature; C. pepo, C. mixta, C. maxima, C. moschata Pumpkin—eaten as dessert; cattle food; decoration C. pepo, C. mixta, C. maxima, C. moschata

Cucurbitaceae - Gourd Family Other Notable Genera: Trichosanthes kirilowii tree-of-joy, is an important anti-cancer plant containing the drug trichosanthin, a ribosome inactivating protein, which has recently shown promise as an HIV-1 inhibitor.

Lamiaceae - Mint Family Distinguishing Characteristics: Mint plants have square stems and opposite leaves. Flowers have 5 fused petals that diverge into 2 lips, termed bilabiate. The single pistil has a superior, 4-lobed ovary, and a style that arises from the base and goes up between the lobes—a gynobasic style. The fruits produced are 4 nutlets.

4-lobed ovary

nutlets

Lamiaceae - Mint Family Edible Genera: Ocimum

marjoram basil Origanum oregano

Mentha mint Rosmarinus officinalis rosemary Salvia officinalis sage Thymus thyme

Liliaceae - Lily or Onion Family Distinguishing Features: Flowers have 3 sepals and 3 petals that look alike= tepals, 6 stamens, and a single pistil with a superior ovary composed of 3 fused carpels. Fruit types are septicidal (splitting at the line of the septa) or loculicidal capsules (dehisces longitudinally through the locules) or berries.

3 sepals, 3 petals

loculicidal capsules

Liliaceae - Lily or Onion Family Edible Genera: Allium onion green, red, white, yellow, pearl cippolini onion shallot

garlic chives leek

Asparagus officinalis asparagus

Liliaceae - Lily or Onion Family Other Notable Genera: Convallaria majalis lily-of-the-valley, All parts, including the berries, of the Lily of the Valley are highly poisonous. About 38 different cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) have been isolated from this plant. Veratrum

false hellebore, contains highly toxic steroidal alkaloids that can cause rapid cardiac failure and death if ingested. All parts are poisonous, with the root and rhizomes being the most poisonous parts. Birth defects in livestock grazing on Veratrum californicum (native to the western United States) led to the study of cyclopamine and jervine which are important in animal developmental biology, including cancer treatment. Zigadenus nuttallii death camas, poison camas, merryhearts, contains a toxic alkaloid that may be twice as potent as strychnine

Rosaceae - Rose Family Distinguishing Features: Flower parts are in 5’s and the flower has a cup-like receptacle or floral tube called a hypanthium. The flower is usually bisexual and has stamens in whorls of five. Fruit types are achene, drupe, follicle, pome, aggregates, follicles, and accessory fruits.

Subfamilies of the Rosaceae Rosoideae—Apocarpous—many separate, simple pistils on a common receptacle. Fruit an aggregate or accessory. Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, rose Maloideae—Fused pistils, inferior ovary, swollen hypanthium. Fruit a pome. Apple, pear, quince Prunoideae—One single simple pistil. Fruit a drupe—Peach, plum, nectarine, cherry, almond

Rosaceae - Rose Family Edible Genera: Rosoideae: Fragaria strawberry, an aggregate of achenes Rubus, aggregate of drupelets blackberry dewberry raspberry Edible Genera: Maloideae, pome Pyrus pear Malus

apple Cydonia quince

Rosaceae - Rose Family Edible Genera, Prunoideae, fruit a drupe

Prunus sweet cherry, marischino, bing, or black sour cherry peach nectarine plum apricot almond, we don’t eat the actual fleshy fruit, but rather the seed or ovule

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family Distinguishing Characteristics: The flowers are usually radially symmetrical with 5 united sepals and 5 petals united at base. Stamens are usually 5, sometimes fewer. All these parts are attached at the base of the ovary. The leaves are alternate, simple or lobed. The fruit is a berry or 2-chambered capsule.

capsule

berry

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family Edible Genera: Capsicum bell peper chilies, all kinds paprika

Physalis tomatillo strawberry tomato

Solanum tomato, roma, cherry, heirloom eggplant potato

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family Other Notable Genera: Atropa belladonna deadly nightshade, belladonna, atropine, is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere. All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids. The berries pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste. The root of the plant is generally the most toxic part, though ingestion of a single leaf of the plant can be fatal to an adult. Atropa belladonna is also toxic to many domestic animals, causing narcosis and paralysis. However, cattle and rabbits seem to eat the plant without suffering harmful effects. Its properties will cause in humans the disruption of cognitive capacities like memory and learning.

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family Other Notable Genera: Datura stramonium jimson weed, is a narcotic and contains scopolamine and atropine. Very dangerous plant and many people have died from misusing it as a hallucinogen. Can be used topically as a numbing agent for aching joints.

Nicotiana tobacco nicotine

Today’s Lab

The goal of this laboratory is to familiarize you with eight families of flowering plants that are important sources of food: Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Rosaceae, and Solanaceae We'll take time to survey many of the important food crops and products from members of these families, examine vegetative and floral morphology, and survey various products.

Today’s Lab By the end of today's lab activity you should be able to: • Recognize and identify the vegetative, floral, and fruit characteristics of each family, as presented through lecture, discussion, and examination of plant samples. • Recognize which of the eight families are monocots and which are dicots • Recognize by name (common, scientific, and family name) the highly important food crops on display. Place spices and seasonings by common name in the correct family. Many of these you have "met" in the vegetable or fruit labs or both, so you should already have them in one of the charts. Be sure to write down the information for anything new (like tobacco) and note characteristics of the different varieties of each crop you see. Since past laboratories have focused on food crops in general, some of this lab will serve as a review and synthesis of information previously presented.

Asteraceae

Apiaceae

Brassicaceae

Lamiaceae

Liliaceae

Rosaceae

Solanaceae