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Home , Aspleniaceae, Athyriaceae, Blechnaceae, Column (botany), Commelinaceae, Commelina communis

Family Characteristics Introduction to Wetland • Quick review: Why do we focus on families? – Family tends to be the highest taxonomic level at Identification: which characters useful to and identification are conserved – For this reason, most plant manuals are arranged by FAMILY family, with a “key to the families” in the front – getting used to using the “big key” is important, but it CHARACTERISTICS can be fraught with wrong turns and dead ends… – Starting to think in terms of family characteristics will cut down on the time investment needed to become proficient at species identification, while still allowing the researcher to make the most of the effort • This is essentially the definition of being efficient! 1 2 D. A. DeBerry, PhD, PWS, PWD

Divisions • Recall also that we are interested in phylogeny, so AND ALLIES the earliest ancestors come first, their “evolutionary descendants” next, and so on… • From most primitive to most advanced, the order that we now recognize is: Division: Equisetophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Fern Allies → Ferns → Conifers () → → → Monocots → (True) Dicots Pteridophyta

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1 Equisetaceae Equisetaceae

• Horsetail Family (Scouring Rush) – One of our most ancient lineages – Rhizomatous (blackish) – Stems upright, dark green, tubular with prominent “siliceous” ridges – Unbranched, or more often branching – whorled, scale‐like – Sporangia in terminal cone‐like strobili

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Lycopodiaceae Lycopodiaceae

• Clubmoss Family – Trailing with lateral stems either underground or on the surface – Leaves small, scale‐like, no veins (midrib only), – on ‐like structures or terminal strobili – “running pine”

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2 Ferns (Pteridophyta) Ferns (Pteridophyta)

Ferns (Pteridophyta) Ferns (Pteridophyta) • (Spleenwort Family) • (Lady Fern Family) • (Deer‐fern Family) • (Bracken Family) • (‐fern Family) • (Sensitive Fern Family) • Ophioglossaceae (Adder’s Tongue Family) • Osmundaceae (Royal Fern Family) • (Marsh Fern Family)

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3 Major Plant Divisions – General CONIFERS Characteristics (Gymnosperms)

Division: Coniferophyta

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Cupressaceae (Cedar Family)

4 Pinaceae (Pine Family) Monocots and Dicots

• Recall the major differences between monocots and dicots

Pinus palustris (Longleaf pine) 18

Phylogeny

• Also recall that we have a group of MAGNOLIIDS “dicots” that are primitive –that is, they evolved early Subclass: Magnoliidae in the evolutionary lineage

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5 Key Characteristics of Magnoliidae

• The Magnoliids are dicots with some • Family “monocot‐like” characteristics, including: – in 3’s – Flowers in 3’s • and difficult to differentiate –“” – grains with one pore – an aggregate that resembles a cone • Other characteristics include: – Stipule scars encircling the twig – and – Typical species: – 2 cotyledons • –sweet bay – Flowers with spirally‐arranged “tepals” • –southern magnolia – Leaves are net‐veined • Liriodendron tulipifera – tulip

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Magnoliaceae

• Laurel Family – Flowers with 6 tepals – Fruit is a drupe (like cherry) with a pit or stone – Leaves and other plant parts are aromatic when crushed – Typical species: • Sassafras albidum – sassafras • Lindera benzoin – spicebush • palustris –red bay

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6 Lauraceae Annonaceae

• Custard Apple Family – Flowers in 3s – Fruit an aggregate, sometimes appearing as a single “syncarp” (like paw paw) – Plants usually aromatic – Typical species • Asimina triloba –paw paw

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Annonaceae

MONOCOTOLYDONS

Class: Liliopsida

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7 Alismataceae Alismataceae

• Arrowhead Family – Herbaceous – Aquatic and marsh species – Basal leaves – Flowers white, in 3s, in a cyme‐like with flowers in whorls at the nodes – Typical species: • Alisma subcordatum –water plantain • Sagittaria latifolia –arrowhead • Sagittaria lancifolia – bulltongue

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Smilacaceae

• Greenbrier Family – Herbaceous or woody climbing , from thick – Stems often armed with prickles – Fruit a – Plants dioecious – One genus () in our region with 13 species (+/‐) in Virginia – Typical species • – roundleaf greenbrier • Smilax bona‐nox –saw greenbrier • Smilax glauca – catbrier • –laurel‐leaf greenbrier

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8 Liliaceae

• Lily Family – Perennial herbaceous plants, usually from , , or tubers – Flowers often showy – Leaves linear or sword‐shaped – Fruit a or berry – Typical species • Allium vineale – wild garlic • Lilium superbum –turk’scap lily • Medeola virginiana – Indian cucumber • Trillium pusillum var. virginianum – least trillium • americanum –trout lily

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Orchidaceae

• Orchid Family • structure – Extremely diverse group (most diverse in the world with 19,500 species) – Zygomorphic flowers highly variable and highly specialized – Two‐ranked leaves, often basal – Typical species • acaule –pink lady slipper • pubescens –rattlesnake plantain • Tipularia discolor – cranefly orchid • Platanthera lacera – green fringed orchid • Isotria medeoloides –small whorled pogonia 35 36

9 Orchidaceae

• Family – Perennial herbaceous plants from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms – Leaves equitant (fan‐like) – Flower parts all look like petals, very showy – Fruit a capsule – Typical species • Iris virginica –blue flag • Iris pseudacorus – yellow flag • Sisyrinchium mucronatum –blue‐eyed grass 37 38

Iridaceae

• Spiderwort Family – Alternate, succulent herbaceous plants with mucilaginous stems – Leaf sheath tubular and closed around the stem – 3 petals, often blue, flowers subtended by a boat‐shaped spathe or leafy – Typical species • communis – Asiatic dayflower • – Virginia dayflower • keisak – marsh dewflower

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10 Commelinaceae

• Pickerel‐ Family – Perennial, aquatic herbs with thick rootstocks – petaloid – Typical species • Pontederia cordata – pickerelweed • dubia – grassleaf mudplaintain • Eichhornia crassipes –water hyacinth

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Pontederiaceae Juncaceae: General Characteristics

• Stems: solid, mostly round (“rushes are round”) • Leaves: few leaves, mostly basal or reduced to sheaths (bracts can appear as leaves), some leaves cylindrical and chambered (septate) • Flowers: regular, 3 sepals and 3 petals very similar in appearance so often called “tepals”, 3 or 6 • : capsule with several minute

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11 Juncaceae: Structure Juncaceae: Structure • Inflorescence – Cymose – – Tepals – Capsule – • Culm (Stem) – Round – Septate leaves • – Rhizomes – Fibrous

Juncaceae: Structure Juncaceae: Structure

12 Cyperaceae: Structure Cyperaceae: General Characteristics • Inflorescence – Spikelet • Stems: solid, triangular (“sedges have edges”) – Scales • Leaves: 3‐ranked, closed sheaths, ligule usually absent – Spikes • Flowers: inconspicuous in axils of overlapping scales, – Nutlet (Achene) arranged in spikelets, perfect or imperfect, spikelets – Perigynium (Carex) organized into spikes, 2 or 3 stamens,1 pistil with 2 or 3 – Bristles stigmas • Culm (Stem) • Fruits: lens shaped (lenticular) or triangular (trigonous) – Triangular, basal leaves nutlet (achene) • Roots – Rhizomes – Fibrous

Cyperaceae: Structure Cyperaceae: Structure

13 Cyperaceae: Structure : General Characteristics

• Stems: jointed at swollen nodes, hollow, round • Leaves: 2‐ranked, ligule, sheaths split down the stem • Flowers: inconspicuous with 2‐3 small scales (lodicules), usu. 3 stamens and 1 pistil, 2 bracts (lemma and palea), floret (all of above), spikelet [2 glumes (sterile bracts) + floret(s)] • Fruits: caryopsis (“seed”, or more appropriately “grain”)

Poaceae: Structure Poaceae: Structure • Inflorescence – Panicle – – Spike • Culm (Stem) nodes + internodes – Blade and sheath – Ligule • Roots – Rhizomes – Fibrous – Stolons

14 Poaceae: Structure Poaceae: Structure

Poaceae: Structure Poaceae: Structure

15 Poaceae: Structure DICOTOLYDONS (in part)

Class: Magnoliopsida

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Apiaceae Apiaceae

• Parsley Family – Herbs with stout, often hollow stems and compound, often dissected leaves – Leaf bases have enlarged sheaths – Inflorescense arranged in , flowers with 5 petals – Foliage often aromatic – Inferior ovary – Typical genera • Cicuta (water hemlock) • Conium (poison hemlock) • Daucus (Queen Anne’s lace) • Eryngium (eryngo) • Foeniculum (fennel) • Hydrocotyle (water penny) • Sanicula (snakeroot) 63 64

16 Asteraceae Asteraceae

• Aster Family – Second most diverse group (19,000 species worldwide) – Also called the “composites” due to flower structure – Herbs or occasionally shrubs – Leaves simple, often dissected, often in basal rosettes – 5‐merous flowers borne in heads surrounded by involucres of bracts, flowers can be tubular or strap‐shaped (ray) – Fruit an achene (dry seed) – Ovary inferior, the calyx modified into a pappus of bristles, hairs, or scales – Numerous species in Virginia

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Asteraceae

• Mustard Family – 4‐merous flowers with erect, uniquely shaped fruits • Silique –elongated, slender fruit • Silicle –flat, rounded or heart‐shaped fruit – Inflorescence racemose – Foliage often with a mustard odor – Superior ovary – Typical genera • Alliaria (garlic mustard) • Arabidopsis (mouse‐ear cress) • Barbarea (yellow rocket) • Capsella (shepherd’s purse) • Cardamine (field cress) • Lepidium (pepperweed) • Nasturtium (watercress) • Thlaspi (pennycress)

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17 Brassicaceae Caprifoliaceae

• Honeysuckle Family – Opposite‐leaved shrubs or vines with flexible stems due to the pith (spongy) – Flowers typically with 4‐5 petals united at the base and forming a tube; inflorescence a cyme – Inferior ovary – Typical genera • Lonicera (honeysuckle) • Sambucus (elderberry) • Triosteum (feverwort) • Viburnum (viburnum)

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Caprifoliaceae Ericaceae • Heath Family – Shrubs, typically in acidic soils – Leaves coriaceous, sometimes evergreen, alternate, simple – Flowers sympetalous (petals fused at least partly), 4‐ or 5‐merous, urceolate (urn shaped) or campanulate (bell shaped), mostly white (sometimes shades of red) – Inflorescence often racemose – Fruit a capsule or berry (sometimes a drupe) – Typical genera • Vaccinium (blueberry) • Gaylussacia (huckleberry) • Kalmia (mountain laurel) • Lyonia (maleberry) • Oxydendrum (sourwood) • Rhododendron (azalea) • Leucothoe (fetterbush) 71 72

18 Ericaceae Fabaceae • Legume or Pea Family – Herbs, shrubs, or trees – Bacterial nodes on the roots (N‐fixing) – Alternate, stipulate, compound leaves with entire margins – Leaves either pinnate‐, palmate‐, or trifoliate‐compound – Flowers generally zygomorphic (some actinomorphic), “half‐ inferior” (perigynous), sepals united, with 5 petals forming a distinctive “banner, wings, and keel” – Stamens can be distinct or more often joined in a column (monodelphous or diadelphous) – Fruit a legume (pea pod) or loment (tick trefoil) – Typical genera

• Apios (groundnut) • Wisteria (wisteria) • Cercis (redbud) • Chamaecrista (partridge • Desmodium (ticktrefoil) pea) • Vicia (vetch) • Lathyrus (beach pea) • Trifolium (clover) • Medicago (black medic) • Lespedeza (hop clover) • Aeschynomene (joint‐vetch) • Albizia (mimosa) • Pueraria (kudzu)

73 Aeschynomene virginica (Sensitive74 Joint-vetch)

Fabaceae Fabaceae

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19 Lamiaceae Lamiaceae

• Mint Family – Aromatic herbaceous to woody plants with square stems and opposite leaves – Inflorescense cymose, sometimes congested into false whorls at the nodes – Corolla sympetalous, with 2 “lips” (“bilabiate), the upper often with 2 lobes, the lower with 3 lobes – Superior ovary – Typical genera • Lamium (dead nettle • Lycopus (bugleweed) • Pycnanthemum (mountain mint) • Salvia (sage) • Scutellaria (skullcap) • Mentha (peppermint) • Glechoma (ground ivy)

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Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae

• Buttercup Family – Herbaceous plants (sometimes shrubs or vines), often with rhizomes or tuberous roots – Leaves compound or dissected with sheaths at base of – Flowers with 5 parts – Stamens numerous – Fruit an aggregate – Typical genera • Aquilegia (columbine) • Caltha (marsh marigold) • Clematis (clematis) • Ficaria (lesser celandine) • Hepatica (liverwort) • Ranunculus (buttercup) • Thalictrum (meadow rue)

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20 Rosaceae Rosaceae

• Family – Herbaceous to woody plants often armed with thorns or prickles – Alternate leaves, with stipules – Flowers regular, with 5 parts – Many stamens, usually in multiples of 5 – Typical genera • Rosa (rose • Rubus (blackberry) • Prunus (cherry) • (apple) • (hawthorn) • Geum (avens) • Spiraea (meadowsweet) • Potentilla (cinquefoil) • Photinia (chokecherry) 81 82

Rosaceae Scrophulariaceae • Figwort Family – Mostly herbaceous (some woody) – Flowers with a 5‐parted, united corolla, zygomorphic and 2‐lipped, calyx with 5 united sepals – Corolla usually attractive, of various shapes – Fruit a capsule – Typical genera • Chelone (turtlehead) • Mimulus (monkey flower) • Penstemon (beardtongue) • Verbascum (mullien) • Paulownia (princess tree) 83 84

21 DICOTOLYDONS (in part) Aceraceae • Maple Family Tree Families – Trees or shrubs with opposite, OPPOSITE ALTERNATE simple, palmately‐lobed/veined (compound in some) – Only 4 tree families in – Trees found in many – Fruit a samara (“helicopter”) our area that are families (e.g., Fabaceae, opposite Rosaceae, etc.) – One genus – Aceraceae (Maple) – We’ll focus on tree • Acer (maple) – Oleaceae (Ash) families with catkins – Cornaceae (Dogwood) – Fagaceae (Oak) – Hippocastanaceae – Juglandaceae (Walnut)

(Buckeye) – Betulaceae (Birch) 85 86

Hippocastanaceae Cornaceae

• Buckey Family • Dogwood Family – Shrubs and trees with opposite – Trees with opposite, palmately leaves (occasionally alternate) compound, serrate leaves – Leaves with curving veins – One genus – Flowers 4‐ to 5‐merous, stamens alternating with the petals • Aesculus (buckeye) – Several have showy white bracts that look like petals (flowering dogwood) – Inferior ovary, fruit a drupe or berry – One genus • Cornus (dogwood) yellow buckeye (A. flava) painted buckeye (A. sylvatica) 87 88

22 Oleaceae Fagaceae • Beech/Oak Family • Olive (Ash) Family – Leaves alternate, simple, with – Shrubs and trees with opposite pinnate venation leaves, simple or pinnately – Monoecious; staminate compound (ash) flowers in catkins – Flowers 4‐merous – Fruit a nut with a cupule (like – Twigs stout an acorn) – Fruit a samara (winged) – Typical genera – Typical genera • Chionanthus (fringetree) • Castanea (chestnut) • Forsythia (forsythia) • Fagus (beech) • Fraxinus (ash) • Quercus (oak) • Ligustrum (privet) • Syringa (lilac)

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Betulaceae Juglandaceae

• Walnut Family • Birch Family – Trees with stout twigs – Trees and shrubs with alternate, simple, serrate – Leaves aromatic, alternate, leaves and pinnately compound – Twigs slender and often zig‐ – Staminate flowers in catkins zag – Staminate flowers in catkins – Fruit a nut surrounded by – leathery husk Typical genera • Alnus (alder) – Typical genera • Betula (birch) • Juglans (walnut) • Carpinus (ironwood) • Carya (hickory) • Corylus (hazelnut) 91 • Ostrya (hornbeam) 92

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