Humboldt State University Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University Botanical Studies Open Educational Resources and Data 12-6-2019 Vascular Plant Families of the United States Grouped by Diagnostic Features James P. Smith Jr Humboldt State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/botany_jps Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Smith, James P. Jr, "Vascular Plant Families of the United States Grouped by Diagnostic Features" (2019). Botanical Studies. 96. https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/botany_jps/96 This Flora of the United States and North America is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Educational Resources and Data at Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Botanical Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLOWERING PLANT FAMILIES OF THE UNITED STATES GROUPED BY DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES James P. Smith, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Botany Department of Biological Sciences Humboldt State University Second edition — 6 December 2019 The focus is on families of plants found in the conterminous United States, including ornamentals. The listing of a family is not meant to imply that every species has that feature. I am using a fewfamily names, such as Liliaceae, Plantaginaceae, and Scrophulariaceae, in the traditional sense, because their limits remain unsettled. Parasitic on branches Dioscoreaceae Simaroubaceae HABITAT Apodanthaceae Lardizabalaceae Staphyleaceae Santalaceae Leguminosae Zygophyllaceae Aquatic Menispermaceae (free-floating) Passifloraceae GENERAL Rhamnaceae STEMS Araceae APPEARANCE Lemnaceae Smilacaceae Pontederiaceae Vitaceae Ribbon-like Grass-like Asparagaceae Aquatic Cyperaceae Tendril-bearing Polygonaceae (fully submerged) Gramineae Bignoniaceae Ceratophyllaceae Juncaceae Cucurbitaceae Jointed Elatinaceae Leguminosae Begoniaceae Potamogetonaceae Moss-like Passifloraceae Caryophyllaceae Ruppiaceae Mayacaceae Rhamnaceae Commelinaceae Zosteraceae Vitaceae Gramineae Palm-like Piperaceae Marine waters Asparagaceae Bulbous Polygonaceae Avicenniaceae Palmae Amaryllidaceae Santalaceae Cymodoceaceae Dioscoreaceae Vitaceae Hydrocharitaceae Achlorophyllous Oxalidaceae Zygophyllaceae Rhizophoraceae Convolvulaceae Portulacaceae Ruppiaceae Ericaceae 3-sided Zosteraceae Montiaceae Trees Cyperaceae Orchidaceae (cone-like structures) Freshwater Orobanchaceae Betulaceae 4-sided Acoraceae Portulacaceae Casuarinaceae Labiatae Alismataceae Santalaceae Magnoliaceae Scrophulariaceae Aponogetonaceae Scrophulariaceae Verbenaceae Callitrichaceae Woody Elatinaceae Epiphytes (compound leaves) 5-sided Haloragaceae Bromeliaceae Aceraceae Cucurbitaceae Hippuridaceae Cactaceae Anacardiaceae Nelumbonaceae Moraceae Capparaceae Succulent Potamogetonaceae Orchidaceae Cleomaceae Aizoaceae Scheuchzeriaceae Juglandaceae Cactaceae Vine Leguminosae Euphorbiaceae Epiphytes Araliaceae Meliaceae Liliaceae s. l. Araceae Aristolochiaceae Oleaceae Bromeliaceae Basellaceae Palmae Orchidaceae Bignoniaceae Rosaceae Convolvulaceae Rutaceae Cucurbitaceae Sapindaceae -1- Loasaceae Musaceae Berberidaceae LEAVES Hydrophyllaceae Sterculiaceae Cabombaceae Urticaceae Limnanthaceae Conifer-like Polygonaceae INSECTIVOROUS Lardizabalaceae Casuarinaceae AROMATIC PLANTS Ericaceae Menispermaceae Tamaricaceae Droseraceae Herbaceous Lentibulariaceae 4-merous Equitant Aristolochiaceae Sarraceniaceae (trees) Iridaceae Compositae Oleaceae Geraniaceae Platanaceae Spiny Labiatae INFLORESCENCES Aquifoliaceae Polemoniaceae 4-merous Berberidaceae Rutaceae Trees with catkins (herbs) Compositae Saururaceae Betulaceae Cruciferae Papaveraceae Umbelliferae Fagaceae Liliaceae Rhamnaceae Verbenaceae Juglandaceae Onagraceae Zingiberaceae Garryaceae Plantaginaceae Gland-dotted Moraceae Potamogetonaceae Guttiferae Woody Salicaceae Lauraceae Calycanthaceae Spirally-inserted parts Myrsinaceae Canellaceae Umbel Illiciaceae Myrtaceae Cistaceae Amaryllidaceae Magnoliaceae Oleaceae Illiciaceae Araliaceae Ranunculaceae Plumbaginaceae Juglandaceae Smilacaceae Rhizophoraceae Lauraceae Conspicuously bracteate Rutaceae Meliaceae Compound umbel Acanthaceae Vitaceae Myricaceae Umbelliferae Bromeliaceae Myrtaceae Heliconiaceae Succulent Pittosporaceae Spikelets Marantaceae Aizoaceae Rutaceae Cyperaceae Musaceae Amaranthaceae Schisandraceae Gramineae Nyctaginaceae Bataceae Simaroubaceae Rafflesiaceae Scrophulariaceae Crassulaceae Strelitziaceae Montiaceae Theaceae LATEX BEARING Thickened spike Nyctaginaceae Araceae Portulacaceae Bataceae Corona Woody Amaranthaceae Apocynaceae Tubular Caricaceae Piperaceae Liliaceae Sarraceniaceae Euphorbiaceae Saururaceae Passifloraceae Moraceae Sticky (insectivorous) Sapotaceae Hypanthium Droseraceae FLOWERS Cactaceae Lentibulariaceae Herbaceous Calycanthaceae Hydrangeaceae Alismataceae Perianth 0 Apocynaceae Leguminosae PUBESCENCE Callitrichaceae Lythraceae Aponogetonaceae Casuarinaceae Araceae Melastomaceae Euphorbiaceae Myrtaceae Stellate hairs Aristolochiaceae Hippuridaceae Hamamelidaceae Bixaceae Onagraceae Lemnaceae Rhamnaceae Sapotaceae Campanulaceae Myricaceae Sterculiaceae Compositae Santalaceae Potamogetonaceae Rosaceae Tiliaceae Convolvulaceae Ruppiaceae Euphorbiaceae Thymelaeaceae Saururaceae Turneraceae Malpighiaceous hairs Haemodoraceae Sarcobataceae Malpighiaceae Nymphaeaceae Typhaceae Sapotaceae Papaveraceae Epicalyx Caryophyllaceae 2-merous Scales Dipsacaceae MUCILAGINOUS Liliaceae Lythraceae Amaranthaceae Stemonaceae Elaeagnaceae PLANTS Malvaceae Tiliaceae 3-merous Stinging/irritating hairs Commelinaceae (but a dicot) Euphorbiaceae Bilabiate corolla Malvaceae Aristolochiaceae Acanthaceae -2- Bignoniaceae Stamens Bignoniaceae Legume Labiatae (hairy) Cannaceae Leguminosae Lentibulariaceae Commelinaceae Geraniaceae Verbenaceae Gesneriaceae Nut Stamens Numerous Guttiferae Amaranthaceae Spurred (woody plants) Hamamelidaceae Betulaceae Balsaminaceae Cactaceae Lauraceae Juglandaceae Orchidaceae Cistaceae Linaceae Onagraceae Ranunculaceae Guttiferae Marantaceae Polygalaceae Scrophulariaceae Hydrangeaceae Onagraceae Polygonaceae Tropaeolaceae Leguminosae Primulaceae Rhamnaceae Valerianaceae Loasaceae Ranunculaceae Violaceae Magnoliaceae Scrophulariaceae Nutlet Malvaceae Zingiberaceae Boraginaceae Petals hairy Myrtaceae Labiatae Rhizophoraceae Theaceae Ovary Tiliaceae (stipitate) Pepo Petals clawed Capparaceae Cucurbitaceae Caryophyllaceae Stamens numerous Cleomaceae Cruciferae (herbs) Pome Zygophyllaceae Cactaceae Stamens & Carpels Rosaceae Guttiferae (fused) Flowers unisexual Loasaceae Apocynaceae Schizocarp(s) (herbs) Malvaceae Orchidaceae Geraniaceae Acoraceae Montiaceae Malvaceae Apodanthaceae Nelumbonaceae Oleaceae Araceae Nymphaeaceae FRUITS Rutaceae Bataceae Paeoniaceae Sapindaceae Callitrichaceae Phytolaccaceae Winged Umbelliferae Cannabaceae Portulacaceae Aceraceae Ceratophyllaceae Ranunculaceae Celastraceae Warty/faceted Cucurbitaceae Resedaceae Compositae Araceae Elatinaceae Juglandaceae Cyclanthaceae Eriocaulaceae Stamens Magnoliaceae Moraceae Euphorbiaceae (in bundles) Oleaceae Pandanaceae Haloragaceae Guttiferae Sapindaceae Platanaceae Lemnaceae Myrtaceae Ulmaceae Smilacaceae Theaceae Umbelliferae Typhaceae Tiliaceae SEEDS Urticaceae Spiny/hooked Zannichelliaceae Stamens Altingiaceae Arils Zosteraceae (didynamous) Compositae Celastraceae Gesneriaceae Fagaceae Leguminosae Flowers unisexual Labiatae Krameriaceae Marantaceae (woody plants) Bignoniaceae Pedaliaceae Passifloraceae Betulaceae Verbenaceae Umbelliferae Polygalaceae Buddlejaceae Thymelaeaceae Burseraceae Stamens Caryopsis Ebenaceae (tetradynamous) Gramineae Caruncles/Elaiosomes Fagaceae Cruciferae Buxaceae Garryaceae Follicle(s) Euphorbiaceae Juglandaceae Stamens Apocynaceae Primulaceae Moraceae (appendaged) Magnoliaceae Ranunculaceae Myricaceae Ericaceae Paeoniaceae Resedaceae Platanaceae Melastomataceae Ranunculaceae Violaceae Salicaceae Meliaceae Rosaceae Sarcobataceae Apical tuft of hairs Simaroubaceae Staminoids Apocynaceae Sterculiaceae Acanthaceae Compositae Araceae -3- USEFUL REFERENCES Christenhusz, M. J. M. et al. 2017. Plants of the world. Kew Publishing & Univ. of Chicago Press. 792 pp. Heywood, V. H. et al. 2007. Flowering plant families of the world. Firefly Books. 424 pp. Heywood, V. H. et al. 2011. Flowering plants: a concise guide. Kew Publishing. 288 pp. Hickey, M. & C. King. 1988. 100 families of flowering plants. Second edtion. Cambridge Univ. Press. 619 pp. Mabberley, D. J. 2017. Mabberley’s plant-book. Fourth edition. Cambridge Univ. Press. 1102 pp. Zomlefer, W. B. 1994. Guide to flowering plant families. University of North Carolina Press. 430 pp. -4-.