SATISFIED

2010-02-25T20:57:00.000+05:30

Family :POLYGALACEAE

P.persicarifolia Dr Phadke

FAMILY : POLYGALACEAE

Milkwort family
Polygala(Latin) means much milk. Cattle feeding on these plants are supposed to give more milk.
There are 17 genera and 900-1000 species around the world. 50 %of the plants are in genus Polygala.

Vegetative characters:

It is a small cosmopolitan family of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees. Leaves are alternate, always simple, usually without stipules. Polygalas have Irregular flowers and superficially resembling Fabaceae.

Inflorescence and flowers:

Flowers are generally in spikes or racemes, each flower subtended by a bract and two bracteoles.

Sepals are 5 and unequal, two side sepals are often larger and coloured like petals. Uppermost sepal is keeled(Ridged in a way that resembles two connected petals or sepals. There are three petals united at base and the lower one boat shaped or saucer shaped -keel with a fringed crest; enclosing 8 stamens and a pistil style. Stamens are often fused by their filaments into a split sheath. Ovary of two fused carpels, 2 chambered, each chamber one seeded;

Fruits and the seeds:

Fruit is a capsule.

Examples: From Maharashtra

1. Leaves amplexicaul; flowers in spike; stamens 4-5; capsule toothed … Salomonia

1. Leaves not as above; flowers in racemes; stamens 8 capsule entire. … Polygala

2.Shrubs … P.arillata

2.Herbs

3. Flowers Pink …P. bulbothrix

… P.irregularis

… P.persicarifolia

3.Flowers yellow

…P. furcata

… P.erioptera

… P.elongata

… P arvensis.

… P. Linarifolia

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : ZINGIBERACEAE

2009-03-03T18:48:00.000+05:30

Hitchenia caulina

Curcuma longa

Curcuma pseudomontana

Curcuma neilgherrensis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : ZINGIBERACEAE

A family of 45 genera and 750 species distributed in the tropical regions chiefly Indo Malaysia. In India there are 17 genera and 112 species occurring in Eastern Himalayas and Western ghats.

Vegetative characters:

They are perennial herbs with creeping, horizontal or tuberous rhizomes. The plants are usually aromatic.
The aerial stem when present is short and leafy or scapose and bearing only flowers as in Curcuma and Zingiber. The leaves are basal or cauline and are in two rows. They have a sheathing base and a petiole may or may not present between sheath and blade. The blade is linear to ellipticand often large with numerous closely parallel and pinnate veins diverging obliquely from the midrib. A characteristic ligule is present at the junction of the petiole and blade.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The inflorescence is either terminal on the leafy shoot or on a scale leaf bearing scape(Curcuma) or produced directly from the rootstock at the base of the stem(Amomum).It is a spike (Curcuma) or a dense head(Costus) or panicle.Sometimes the flowers are solitary as in Gastrochilus.
The flowers are bracteate and the bracts are often coloured and distichous or spirally arranged. They are mostly bisexual, zygomorphic or actinomorphic, trimerous and epigynous. The perianth is of six members in two trimerous whorls. It is differentiated into an outer calyx and and an inner corolla. The three sepals are united into a tube. The odd sepal is anterior. The petals are also more or less united and the three segments are similar or dissimilar and then the posterior segment is usually the largest and covers the edges of lateral segments. The petals are often very showy and delicate. The androecium is of six stamens in two trimerous whorls. The anterior stamen of the outer whorl is always absent while the other two are represented by large and leafy staminodes. The posterior stamen of the inner whorl and the other two are united to form a petaloid labellum which embraces the fertile stamen and is often the most conspicuous part of the flower. The fertile stamen and the staminodes are inserted on the mouth of the corolla tube. The fertile stamen has a slender and deeply grooved filament and a dithecous anther dehiscing vertically. The gynoecium is tricarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is inferior and trilocular.The style is simple and terminal and is more or less enevoloped in the groove of the filament of the fertile stamen. Sometimes the style is two lipped or dentate. The stigma is simple or capitate.
A pair of nectar secreting epigynous glands are often present.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is usually a loculicidal capsule. The seeds are rounded or angular with copious hard or mealy endosperm and straight embryo.

Pollination and dispersal:

The showy flowers favour insect pollination. The fruits are distributed by animals.

Examples:

Zingiber officinale (Ginger, adrak, Ale)
Curcuma
Curcuma longa L. (Turmeric,Haldi)
Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.(East Indian arrowroot, Tikhur)
Curcuma neilgherrensis
Amomum cardamomum (Cardamum,Choti Elayachi)
Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamon, Elaychi)
Hitchenia caulina

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: VITACEAE

2009-02-23T19:37:00.000+05:30

Leea indica

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: VITACEAE

It is a small family with 12 genera and 700 species worldwide, distributed in tropics and warm temperate regions of the world. In India there are 8 genera and 95 species occurring in western peninsular India and in the Himalayas.

Vegetative characters:

They are mostly woody vines climbing by means of tendrils or adventitious roots. The tendrils are attached to the substratum by coiling or by adhesive discs. Species of Leea are small trees, shrubs or herbs. The stem is usually sympodial. The stem is angle compressed or cylindrical with numerous very large vessels, swollen or jointed nodes and watery juices. The leaves are alternate or the lower leaves are sometimes opposite, simple or palmately or rarely pinnately compound as in Leea. They are often pellucid punctuate and with deciduous stipules.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The numerous flowers are usually arranged in leaf opposed spikes, racemes, panicles or cymes. Occasionally the peduncles are flattened and expanded (Pterisanthes). Some peduncles are often transformed into tendrils or viscid discs which adhere to the substratum. The flowers are bracteates, hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, actinomorphic, tetra or pentamerous and hypogynous. The calyx is small, four or five toothed or lobed or reduced to an inconspicuous ring. The corolla has four or five petals which are free or united. The petals generally fall when the flowers open. The androecium is of four or five stamens which are opposite the petals and are inserted at the base of the disc or between the lobes. The filaments are short, subulate and free or connate at the base (Leea). The anthers are free or connate, dithecous, introrse and open by the longitudinal slits. An annular or variously expanded nectariferous disc is present which is free or connate with the petals, stamens or ovary. The gynoecium is two to six carpellary and syncarpous with a superior and two to six locular ovary. The style is short slender and conical or absent and the stigma is capitates, discoid or sublobed.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is one to six chambered juicy berry with one or two seeds in each chamber. Seeds have a cartilaginous endosperm and a short basal embryo.

Pollination and dispersal:

The Vitaceae are insect pollinated.

Examples:

Vitis vinifera (Grape vine)

Leea indica (Dinda)

Leea macrophylla

Cissus adnata

Cissus woodrowii

Parthenocissus

Ampelopsis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : VERBENACEAE

2009-02-17T19:10:00.000+05:30

Tectona grandis(Teak)

Clerodendrum multiflorum

GmelinaArborea(shivan)

Clerodendrum serratum(Bharangi)

Petrea volubilis

Clerodendrum viscosum

Citharexylum quadrangulare

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : VERBENACEAE
A large family mostly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In India it is represented by 21 genera and 125 species occurring mostly in southern and western India and the tropical and subtropical Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubs or trees and rarely woody climbers(Petrea). Avicennia is a mangrove shrub or small tree.
The stem is often quadrangular and increases in thickness by formation of concentric rings of cambium. The leaves are usually opposite or whorled, exstipulate, simple or rarely pinnately or palmately compound.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The Inflorescence may be cymose, racemose or spicate. The cymes are often compound or panicled as in Tectona. The bracts and bracteoles are usually present.
The flowers are bisexual or sometimes polygamous by abor, more or less zygomorphic, usually pentamerous and hypogynous. The calyx is gamosepalous, persistent and usually five toothed or lobed. The corolla is gamopetalous, tubular and the tube often cylindric, limb bi lipped or unequally five lobed. The lobes are imbricate in bud. The stamens are four didynamous and epipetalous on the corolla tube. The anthers are dithecous, introrse and opening lengthwise. The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior with as many locules as the number of carpels. The stigma has as many lobes as the number of carpels.
Fruits and seeds :
The fruit is a drupe with one seeded pyrenes. The seeds have a straight embryo and are nonendospermic or with scanty endosperm.
Pollination and dispersal :
Mostly pollinated by bees and butterflies.The seeds are dispersed by birds and animals.
Examples :
Tectona grandis (Teak, Sag)
Premma bengalensis
Vitex altissima
Vitex negundo (Nirgudi)
Gmelina arborea (Shivan)
Lantana camara
Duranta repens
Petrea volubilis
Clerodendrum
Holmskioldia sanguinea (Chinese hat plant)
Caryopteris incana.
Citharexylum quadrangulare

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: TILIACEAE

2009-02-11T21:01:00.000+05:30

Grewia hirsuta

Grewia flavens

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: TILIACEAE

Chiefly distributed in tropical and temperate regions, in southeast Asia and Brazil. In India there are 14 genera and more than 110 species, found mostly in warmer parts.

Vegetative characters:
They are mostly trees or shrubs, sometimes herbs. The stems often have strong phloem fibre. The plants are usually covered with stellate hairs.
The leaves are usually alternate, often showing a distinct distichous arrangement, simple, entire or lobed. The blade is usually oblique with the larger side towards the branch. The stipules are free and often caducous and fall as the bud unfolds.

Inflorescence and flowers:
The flowers are usually arranged in cymose inflorescences which are axillary or terminal and few to many flowered. The flowers are complete, usually hermaphrodite, actinomorphic and hypogynous. The calyx is of mostly five, free or connate sepals which are valvate in bud. The corolla has as many petals as the sepals. the petals are free and show imbricate or valvate aestivation in bud. They are often glandular at the base.
The androecium has ten to numerous stamens, arising from a disc; distinct or basally connate in five bundles. The filaments are filiform and the anthers are dithecous, introrse and opening by a longitudinal slit or by an apical pore. In Grewia the stamens are raised by the development of an internode between the petals and the stamens.
The gynoecium is two to ten carpellary with a superior and sessile ovary.

Fruits and seeds:
The fruit is fleshy or dry and dehiscent or indehiscent. the seeds are endospermic with a straight embryo.

Pollination and dispersal:
The pollination is by insects. The fruits of Grewia are edible and the seed dispersal is by animals. In Triumfetta the fruits are adhesive and develop spines and thus attach to humans and animals.

Examples:
Corchorus capsularis (Jute)
Grewia
Triumfetta
Tilia

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: STERCULIACEAE

2009-02-04T20:35:00.000+05:30

Sterculia foetida

Firminia colorata

Eriolaena quinquelocularis

Sterculia alata

Gauzuma

Dombeya

Pterospermum acerifolium

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: STERCULIACEAE

Family chiefly of tropics. There are 18 genera and more than 90 species mostly in tropical areas while some are in Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly soft wooded trees or shrubs, sometimes herbs, rarely climbers. The younger parts are often stellate, tomentose. The bark is mucilaginous and the inner often fibrous. The leaves are alternate or rarely subopposite, simple, entire, palmately lobed or digitate(Sterculia). The petiole is often pulvinate. Stipules present usually caducous.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Inflorescences are axillary or sometimes terminal complex cymes. The flowers are hermaphrodite or unisexual or polygamous, actinomorphic, pentamerous and hypogynous. The calyx has five sepals, valvate more or less united, often coloured(Sterculia).Corolla has five petals. They are absent in Sterculia, free or adnate to the base of the staminal tube. They are deciduous or sometimes persistent(Dombeya). Androecium has few to many stamens which are free or often connate in tube. Gynoecium is 2-5 carpellary and syncarpous with a superior ovary, sessile or raised with androgynophore. The style is simple or lobed or rarely divided upto the base
Fruits and seeds:
Fruits are dry / fleshy, dehiscent/indehiscent. Seeds endo/nonendospermic with a straight or a curved embryo.
he seeds are numerous, compressed, discoid or subreniform, endospermic and with a curved or straight embryo.
Pollination and dispersal:
Pollination is by insects. Winged seeds of Dombeya and Pterospermum favor wind dipersal of seeds. It also takes place by animals and birds.
Examples:
Sterculia Pterospermum
Helicterus
Dombeya
Theobroma cacao (Coco tree)
Cola acuminata
Gauzuma ulmifolia
Firminia colorata
Eriolaena quinquelocularis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SOLANACEAE

2009-01-30T20:21:00.000+05:30

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY)
A large family with over 2000 species worldwide. In India there are 15 genera and 88 species. Many species are cultivated while others occur chiefly in Himalayas and southern and eastern parts of India.
Vegetative characters:
They are mostly annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubs or small trees and rarely climbers. The stems are prickly or spinous, the spines are modified branches. The vascular bundles are bicollateral. Underground tubers are found in Solanum tuberosum. The leaves are alternate,exstipulate, simple,entire, lobed or pinnatified. In the inflorescence portion the leaves often become subopposite or opposite.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Often cymes which are lateral, axillary or terminal. In some species of Solanum they are extraaxillary appearing to arise from the middle of an internode. Very frequently they are solitary and axillary as in Datura and Nicardia and rarely clustered as in Withania. The bracts and bracteoles are absent.
The flowers are actinomorphic or sometimes zygomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous and hypogynous. The calyx is five lobed or five partite and usually persistent and much enlarged in fruit. The corolla is gamopetalous and funnell shaped(Datura) campanuloate(Physalis) or rotate(Solanum) The limb is usually five lobed or rarely ten lobed as in Datura and the lobes are folded contorted or valvate. The stamens are usually five,epipetalous on the corolla tube and alternate with the lobes. They are commonly of unequal heights. The anthers are ovate or oblong, sometimes connivant into a cone as in Solanum, dithecous,introrse and dehiscing by longitudinal slits or by apical pores.(Solanum)
Thhe gynoecium is typically bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior and bilocular with axile placentation.The style is linear and the stigma is capitate or shortly lobed.
A hypogynous nectariferous disc is usually present at the base of the ovary.
Fruits and seeds:
The fruit is a berry which is sometimes (Physalis)enclosed within an inflated bladder-like calyx or capsule. The seeds are numerous, compressed, discoid or subreniform, endospermic and with a curved or straight embryo.
Pollination and dispersal:
Conspicuous flowers and nectariferous disc favor insect pollination. Solanum tuberosum is devoid of nectar and is scarcely visited by insects. Here usually self pollination occurs by the style curving backwards to touch the anthers.
The seeds are usually dispersed by birds and animals.Species of Datura,Atropa and Hyoscyamus are dispersed by water.
Examples:
Solanum tuberosum (Potato, Batata)
Solanum melongena (Egg plant,Brinjal,Baingan,Wang) Lycopersicon esculentum(Tomato)
Capsicum annuum (Chillies, Mirch)
Nicotiana tobacum (Tobacco)
Atropa belladonna(Belladonna)
Hyoscymus niger
Datura stramonium
Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)
Withania coagulans (Indian rennett)
Petunia

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SCROPHULARIACEAE

2009-01-21T19:28:00.000+05:30

Rhamphicarpa

Verbascum chinens

Lindernia ciliata

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SCROPHULARIACEAE
This family is cosmopolitan in distribution but most abundant intemperate regions. In India it is represented by 57 genera and 350 species occurring chiefly in Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubs (Veronica) or rarely trees(Wightia). Certain members are aquatic(Limnophila) or marsh (Departrium and Herpestis) Some are chlorophyll containing hemiparasites(Pedicularis and Striga) or parasites without chlorophyll as Lathraea.
Usually the lower leaves are opposite and upper alternate.They are simple exstipulate entire or pinnately lobed or incised.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Variable but commonly racemose or spicate. Sometimes cymose or axillary solitary.The bracts and bracteoles are usually present.
The flowers are perfect, hermaphrodite,zygomorphic or sometimes as in Verbascum nearly actinomorphic and hypogynous.The calyx is deeply five lobed or divided, persistent, imbricate or valvate. The corolla is gamopetalous and the limb is usually free and more or less bi-lipped.Commonly five stamens are fertile and the fifth is reduced to a staminode or is completely absent.The stamens are epipetalous. the anthers are dithecous but occasionally the two cells are unequal or only one cell is present. The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous with a superior bilocular ovary. The style is simple and the stigma is capitate, bilobed or bi-lamellate.
An annular or cup shaped nectariferous disc is present at the base of the ovary which is sometimes bilobed.
Fruits and seeds:
The fruit is a capsule or rarely a berry. the seeds are small with a fleshy endosperm and straight or slightly curved embryo.
Pollination and dispersal:
The flowers are adapted for insect pollination. The seeds are dispersed by water, birds or animals.
Examples:
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Digitalis purpurea (Common foxglove)
Linaria vulgaris
Verbascum chinens
Rhamphicarpa
Lobelia nicotianifolia(Ran Tambaku)
Lindernia ciliata

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SAPOTACEAE

2009-01-15T22:17:00.001+05:30

Achras sapota

Mimuseps elengi

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SAPOTACEAE

In India there are 10 genera and 52 species occurring mostly in North Eastern and Southern India.

Vegetative characters:

They are trees or shrubs with young parts often rusty tomentose. The plants contain a milky juice. The leaves are alternate or rarely subopposite, simple, entire,petioled and coriacious and leathery. The stipules are usually absent.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are solitary or in cymose clusters in the leaf axils. They are bisexual, actinomorphic and hypogynous. The calyx has four to eight sepals which are united at the base. They are arranged in two or one series. The corolla is gamopetalous but the corolla tube is shorter than the calyx tube. The corolla lobes are usually as many as the calyx lobes and alternate with them and sometimes twice as many as the calyx lobes. The petal lobes are imbricate in bud.

The stamens are inserted upon the corolla tube. They are usually as many as the corolla lobes and opposite to the corolla lobes. Sometimes the stamens are two to three times as many as the corolla lobes and then they are two or three seriate. The outer stamens are sometimes reduced to staminodes as in Mimusops. The filaments are usually short. The anthers are oblong lanceolate, dithecous and extrorse. The connective is often produced beyond the anthers. The gynoecium has two to eight syncarpous carpels. The ovary is superior with as many locules as the number of carpels. The style is one, often apically lobed.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is one to eight seeded berry. Latex sacs are also present in the inner pulp of the berry. The seeds are often compressed with a crustaceous testa. The embryo is straight.

Pollination and dispersal:

Pollination is by insects. Fruits are distributed by birds and animals and water currents.

Examples:

Achrus sapota (Sapodilla plum)

Manilkara hexandra

Madhuca indica

Mimuseps elengi (Bakul)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SAPINDACEAE

2009-01-09T20:35:00.000+05:30

Schleichera oleosa (Kusam)

Sapindus

Sapindus

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: SAPINDACEAE ACERACEAE(MAPLE FAMILY)
Large family represented in India by 24 genera and 72 species occurring in the tropical eastern Himalayas and western peninsular India.
Vegetative characters:
The members of the family are trees or shrubs or sometimes vines. The stems show peculiar secondary growth in thickness.
The leaves are alternate or rarely opposite (Acer), usually pinnately compound, sometimes simple (Cardiospermum), palmately lobed and veined (Acer) or digitate (Aesculus). They are exstipulate but occasionally stipulate as in Melianthus. The latex or resin cells are often present in the leaves.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Racemose inflorescence with minute flowers or unilateral cymes in panicles. The flowers are mostly polygamo-dioecious. They are zygomorphic or occasionally actinomorphic, tetra or pentamerous and hypogynous.
The calyx is composed of four or five sepals which are free or variously connate, often unequal and valvate or imbricate in bud.
The corolla is of four to five free petals but usually there are four petals and the place of fifth petal is vacant.
The androecium has typically eight or ten stamens or sometimes less as in Aesculus.
An annular or unilateral disc is often present between the petals and the stamens.
The gynoecium is usually tricarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior.
Fruits and the seeds:
The fruit is capsular or it is indehiscent and entire or lobed as in Sapindus. Sometimes the fruit is a double Samara as in Acer or nutlike as in Litchi.
The seeds are globose or compound, often arillate, endospermic or nonendospermic with often plicate or spirally convolute embryo.
Pollination and dispersal:
The flowers are often protandrous and pollinated by insects. Flies and humble bees are the chief pollinators.The fruits of Dodonia and Acer are blown to long distances by strong winds. The dispersal also takes place by birds and animals in many genera.
Examples:
Litchi chinensis
Sapindus mukorossi (Soapnut tree, Ritha)
Sapindus laurifolius Acer saccharinum (Sugar Maple)
Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut)
Schleichera oleosa (Kusam)
Dodonia viscose (Vilayati Mehandi)
Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RUTACEAE

2008-12-29T23:24:00.000+05:30

Murraya koenigii (Kadhilimb)

Murraya koenigii (Kadhilimb)

Murraya panniculata (Kunti)

Feronia limoni (Wood apple)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RUTACEAE

CITRUS FAMILY

Widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions especially in south Africa and Australia. In India it is rep[resented by 23 genera and over 80 species mostly in Himalayas and western Peninsular India.

Vegetative characters:

They are trees shrubs or rarely herbs. A characteristic feature of the family is the presence of pellucid glands filled with essential oils. The plants have spines as in Citrus and Aegle. The leaves are opposite or alternate and simple or compound. The stipules are absent. The leaves are mostly gland dotted.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are usually born in axillary or terminal cymes or panicles., sometimes they form racemes or they are axillary solitary or fascicled. The flowers are bracteate as well as bracteolate, usually hermaphrodite or sometimes unisexual and polygamous as in Zanthoxyllum, actinomorphic or sometimes zygomorphic as in Dictamnus, pentamerous, and hypogynous. A fleshy nectariferous disc is present between the stamens and the ovary.

The calyx is of four or fivr sepals which are free or more often show various degrees of connation. The corolla is composed of four or five free petals, which are valvate or imbricate in bud. The stamens are as many as or twice the petals or sometimes they are numerous as in Aegle and Citrus. The filaments are usually free. The anthers are dithecous, introrse and dehiscing longitudinally. The gynoecium is of two to five carpels which are completely united or sometimes the carpels are free towards the base and the ovary is deeply lobed. The styles are as many as carpels, free or variously united. The stigmas are terminal, entire or lobed.

Fruits and the seeds:

The fruit is a capsule or of free membranous ventrally dehiscing few seeded carpels or a drupe or a berry. The seeds may or may not contain endosperm and the embryo is straight or curvrd.

Pollination and dispersal:

The Rutaceae are adapted for insect pollination. The seeds are largely dispersed by animals and also by human agency.

Examples:

Citrus limon (Lemon)

Citrus medica (Citron)

Citrus aurantifolia (Bitter orange)

Citrus sinensis (Sweet orange)

Citrus reticulata (Loose skinned orange, Santra)

Citrus paradise (Grape fruit)

Citrus maxima( Chakotra)

Aegle marmelose (Bael)

Feronia limoni (Wood apple)

Feronia elephantum (Kavath)

Zanthoxylum

Murraya koenigii (Kadhilimb)

Murraya panniculata (Kunti)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RUBIACEAE

2008-12-23T11:57:00.000+05:30

Ixora

Anthocephalus cadamba

Anthocephalus cadamba

Mussaenda

Pavetta

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RUBIACEAE

Rubiaceae is a large family. In India there are about 76 genera and 274 species occurring chiefly in the tropical and subtropical Eastern Himalayas extending up to 4600 meters and mountains of southern and Western India.

Vegetative characters:

The habit is chiefly woody and the family consists of mostly trees and shrubs.

The leaves are opposite decussate or sometimes whorled, simple entire and stipulate. The stipules show much variation in the form. They are frequently interpetiolar or intra petiolar. The stipules are often united. Sometimes as in Gardenia the four stipules are united into a conical cap which is thrown off as the bud opens. The bases of stipules are often glandular.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The inflorescence is basically a dichasial cyme and sometimes the small flowered cymes are aggregated into dense head as in Anthocephalus and Adina. In Morinda even the ovaries of the flowers in the head become fused. Rarely the flowers are solitary as in Gardenia and in Coffee one to three flowers stand in the axil of a leaf.

The flowers are actinomorphic or rarely slightly zygomorphic, bisexual tetra or pentamerous and epigynous.

The calyx is four or five lobed and the lobes are valvate. Sometimes as in Mussaenda one of the sepals in one or more flowers of an inflorescence becomes brightly coloured. The corolla is four or five fused petals and is salverform, rotate or funneliform. The petal lobes are valvate, twisted or imbricate in bud. The stamens are as many as the number of petals and they alternate with them. The anthers are dithecous introrse and opening lengthwise. The gynoecium is usually bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is inferior and bilocular with axile placentation. The style is simple and the stigma is capitates or bilobed.

Fruits and the seeds:

The fruit is usually a septicidal or loculicidal capsule. Sometimes it is a berry(Coffee) or schizocarpic, separating into one seeded segments (Galium)

Pollination and dispersal:

The pollination is brought about by insects. Sticky fruits and persistent calyx limbs often favour their distribution by birds and animals. Sometimes the seeds are winged and are dispersed by wind.

Examples:

Coffee

Cinchona

Ixora coccinea

Gardenia

Mussaenda

Anthocaphalus cadamba (Kadamb)

Mitragyna parviflora (Kalam, Laghukadamb )

Adina cordifolia

Randia spinosa

Morinda

Pavetta crassicaulis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: ROSACEAE

2008-12-16T21:24:00.002+05:30

Sorbaria tomentosa

Potentilla atrosanguina

Rosa webbiana

Spiraea canescens

Potentilla eriocarpa

Sibbaldia purpurea

Pear

Wild strawberry

Wild rose

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: ROSACEAE

There are over 25 genera and around 215 species in India mainly confined to temperate Himalayas ascending up to 6000 meters.

Vegetative characters:

The plants are herbs, shrubs or trees several species of Rose and Rubus have prickles. Sometimes, as in Prinsepia and Crataegus the shrubs are armed with sharp spines which are modified branches. Vegetative reproduction takes place in several ways.

The leaves are alternate and simple, pinnately or palmately compound. The stipules are usually present.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are rarely solitary or fascicled, but commonly they are arranged in various types of definite or indefinite inflorescences. The flowers are actinomorphic or sometimes strongly zygomorphic, bisexual or unisexual,polygamous, pentamerous, hypogynous, peri or epigynous. The calyx is of typically five basally connate sepals; the calyx tube is free or adnate to the ovary. The aestivation is imbricate or valvate. In some genera an epicalyx is also present. The corolla is of generally five free petals (there are numerous petals in cultivated species of Rosa) which are usually imbricate in bud. The number of stamens is variable from one to many. They are often in whorls. The filaments are distinct or sometimes monoadelphous. The anthers are dithecous and introrse. A cushion shaped or ringlike nectar secreting disc is present between the stamens and carpel. The gynoecium shows much variation. There are ten different tribes of gynoecial characters and type of fruits.

Seeds:

The seeds are usually without endosperm.

Pollination and dispersal:

In most Rosaceae the nectar is collected in the receptacular tube and easily licked by insects. The flowers are mostly protogynous and favour cross pollination.

The seeds are dispersed by animals and birds.

Examples:

Rosa multiflora (Rose)

Rosa damascene

Rosa indica

Rosa banksiae

Rosa centifolia

Pyrus mallus (Apple)

Pyrus communis (Pear)

Prunus persica (Peach)

Prunus domestica

Prunus institia (Plum)

Prunus armeniaca (Apricot)

Prunus amygdalous (Almond)

Fragaria chiloensis (Garden Strawberry)

Fragaria vesca L. (Alpine strawberry)

Spiraea

potentilla

Brambles

Cinquefoil

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RANUNCULACEAE

2008-12-08T20:20:00.000+05:30

Clematis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: RANUNCULACEAE

(BUTTERCUP FAMILY)

In India there are 20 genera and 154 species mostly confined to mountainous region.

Vegetative characters:

They are mainly annual or perennial herbs but some are climbers such as Clematis. Some are aquatic herbs. The perennial species usually develop rhizomes and tuberous roots. The vascular bundles in the stem of some genera are not arranged in a ring but are somewhat irregular, recalling the arrangement of monocots.

The leaves are radical or alternate or opposite as in Clematis. Stipules are absent but they often have sheathing bases. Generally they are simple and palmately lobed or divided but they are entire in Caltha, pinnately compound in Clematis and decompounds in Thalicrtum. Aquatic species show heterophylly with submerged leaves finely dissected.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The Inflorescence is variable. Most of the genera show typically determinate Inflorescence. The flowers are solitary terminal in Anemone and Nigella. They form long racemes in Delphinium and Acotinum and much branched panicles in Clematis and Thalictrum. The flowers are generally bisexual, mostly actinomorphic. The flower parts are arranged spirally on an elongated receptacle. The sepals are 5-8, distinct, imbricate or valvate, usually deciduous. The petals are usually five free symmetrical or irregular. The stamens are many polyandrous and spirally arranged. The anthers are adnate dithecous, extrorse and dehiscing longitudinally. The gynoecium is usually of numerous free carpels arranged spirally on a distinct thalamus. The style and stigma are one.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is usually a group of few to many seeded follicles or a group of one seeded achenes. In Clematis the achenes have long persistent feathery styles. The seed has a copious endosperm and a minute straight embryo.

Pollination and dispersal:

The flowers are protandrous and are adapted for insect pollination. The dispersal is by wind in many species. Some are disseminated by animals and birds.

Examples:

Ranunculus (Buttercup)

Thalictrum (Meadow- rue)

Clematis ( Virgins- bower)

Anemone (Wind flower)

Delphinium (Larkspur)

Acotinum (Aconite)

Aquilegia (Columbine)

Nigella (Love-in-a-mist)

Nigella sativa (Black fennel,Kala jeera)

Caltha (Marsh Marigold)

Paeonia (Peony)

Adonis aestivalis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: POLYGONACEAE

2008-12-01T20:08:00.000+05:30

Antigonon leptopus

Polygonum auriculata

Polygonum auriculata

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: POLYGONACEAE

In India the family is represented by 8 genera and 110 species occurring chiefly in Himalayas.

Vegetative characters:

Mostly herbs but few are shrubby or trees. Sometimes they are climbers such as Antigonon which climb with the help of tendrils terminating the racemes.

The stems are often with swollen nodes and in Cocoloba platyclada the stems and branches are flattened to form phylloclades. The epidermis often forms red pigment. The leaves are alternate, rarely opposite or whorled, simple and entire, toothed or lobed as in Rheum. The leaves are stipulate and the stipules are characteristic of the family. They are usually membranous and forming a complete sheath(ochrea) around the stem above the leaf base. Crystals of Calcium oxalate are often present in the epidermal cells.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The inflorescence is primarily a compound raceme whose branches are cymose. The flowers are small, bracteates, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, cyclic or acyclic and hypogynous.

The calyx is of three to six, free or basally connate, often petalloid, white or red and persistent sepals which are often enlarged and membranous in fruit. The aestivation is imbricate. The petals are absent. The androecium is of 5-9 stamens. The filaments are free or united at the base. The anthers are dithecous and opening lengthwise.

An annular nectar secreting glandular disc is mostly present at the base of the ovary. Gynoecium is usually tricarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior and unilocular. The style is two-four clefted. The stigmas are various.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is an angled achene usually enclosed in the calyx. The seeds have copious endosperm.

Pollination and seed dispersal:

The flowers are pollinated by wind or insects. The fruits are mostly distributed by wind as the persistent calyx forms a membranous wing. Sometimes they have wings which help distribution by birds or animals.

Examples:

Fagopyrum esculentum (Buckwheat,Kuttu)

Fagopyrum tataricum (Duckwheat)

Oxyria digyna

Rheum (Rhubarb)

Rumex acetosa (Garden sorrel)

Rumex acetosella (Sheep sorrel)

Polygonum (Knot weed)

Antigonon leptopus (Coral vine)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK:PEDALIACEAE

2008-11-22T19:48:00.000+05:30

Sesamum mulayanum

Martynia annua

FAMILY OF THE WEEK:PEDALIACEAE

In India it is represented by three genera and seven species occurring chiefly in south India. Martyniaceae is considered as a separate family by some.

Vegetative characters:

Annual or perennial herbs or rarely shrubs. Sometimes as in Martynia, the roots are tuberous. The leaves are opposite, exstipulate, simple entire lobed or divided.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are usually axillary solitary or in simple cyme or terminal raceme as in Martynia. At the base of the flower stalk characteristic glands are present which metamorphosed flowers are.

The flowers are perfect bisexual zygomorphic and hypogynous. The calyx is of usually five more or less united or distinct sepals. The corolla is gamopetalous, tubular-ventricose, limb obscurely bilabiate, five imbricate lobes. The stamens are usually foue, didynamous and epipetalous on the corolla tube. The fifth posterior stamen is represented by a small staminode. In Martynia there are only two fertile stamens and the remaining three are reduced to staminodes. The anthers are dithecous, introrsr and dehiscing longitudinally.

The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous with a superior ovary. The style is one and slender and the stigma is bilobed. A nectar secretins disc is present at the base of the ovary.

Fruits and the seeds:

The fruit is an indehiscent or dehiscent capsule often with a woody endocarp which is often horned or prickly. In Martynia the fruit bears two long curved horns.

Pollination and dispersal:

The flowers are often protandrous and are pollinated by insects which visit them for nectar.

The fruits are adapted for dispersal by large mammals. The fruits are armed with adhesive spines or hooks.

Examples:

Sesamum indicum

Sesamum mulayanum

Sesamum laciniatum

Martynia annua

Pedalium murex

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : PAPAVERACEAE

2008-11-20T20:35:00.002+05:30

Argemone mexicana

California poppy (USA)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : PAPAVERACEAE

In India this family has 5 genera and about 20 species mostly confined to the Himalayas.

Vegetative characters:

Mostly perennial herbs with a milky or coloured latex.

The leaves are radical or alternate, exstipulate, simple and entire or more often lobed or divided.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are solitary at the end of main or lateral branches. Sometimes racemes or panicles. The flower buds are often nodding due to more rapid growth of one side of flower stalk.

The flowers are large showy, complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, di-or tri merous and hypogynous.

The sepals are two or three(Argemone), free or united, imbricate and caduceus.

The petals are four to six, biseriate, imbricate and often rolled or crumpled in bud.

The androecium consists of numerous free stamens in several whorls; the filaments are slender; and the anthers are erect, dithecous, extrorse and opening lengthwise.

The gynoecium is of two to many carpels, and it is syncarpousThe ovary is superior and unilocular. The style is very short or absent and the stigmas are as many as carpels, radiating connate and opposite or alternating the placenta.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is a many seeded capsule opening by pores or by valves under the lobes of persistent stigmas. The seeds are small with a minute embryo and a copious fleshy fleshy or oily endosperm.

Pollination and seed dispersal:

Self and cross pollination.Flowers do not contain nectar and are visited by pollen seeking insects. The seeds are usually dispersed by wind or by birds, animals or human beings. The seeds of Papaver and Argemone are dispersed by adhesion to animals, carts or feet of humans.

Examples:

Papaver somniferum L: Opium poppy

Papaver rhoeas (Corn poppy)

Papaver nudicaule (Iceland poppy)

Papaver orientale (Oriental poppy)

Argemone mexicana

ORCHIDACEAE

2008-11-18T20:02:00.000+05:30

Habenaria marginata

Aerides maculosum

Zeuxine strateumatica

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: ORCHIDACEAE

A large family of 735 genera and over 17000 species, cosmopolitan in distribution but abundant in tropics and rare in arctic regions. This is the second largest family of the Indian flora, with 128 genera and about 881 speciesoccuring in Himalayas western ghats.They are most abundant in eastern Himalayas.

Vegetative characters:

Perennial herbs, terrestrial, epiphytic or saprophytic. The tropical species are mostly epiphytes while those occurring in temperate zones are largely terrestrial.

They have fleshy roots, root stocks corms or bulbs.

Terrestrial forms are sympodial. The internodes are often swollen to store food.

The epiphytic forms are mostly sympodial or sometimes monopodial. They develop aerial roots which have an outer layer of water absorbing tissue, the velamen. Most epiphytic forma drop their leaves in dry season. They usually develop a fleshy pseudo –bulb every year. The saprophytic form don’t have green leaves and they grow on humus.

The leaves are alternate often distichous or rarely opposite. The leaves are often fleshy linear or ovate. They are sheathing at base and encircling the stem.

Inflorescence and flowers:

They are solitary or in racemes spikes or in panicles.

The flowers are often showy and beautifully coloured. They are bracteates, bisexual or rarely unisexual zygomorphic and epigynous. The perianth is in two trimerous whorls, the outer often calyx like and inner corolla like. The tepals are free or variously connate in each whorl. Outer tepals are alike. The two lateral tepals of the inner whorl are alike but the median tepal is very different in size, shape and the colour from the lateral tepals. It is bulbous,spurred,tubular,strap shaped or variously divided and contribute to the beauty of the flower. This modified tepal is called lip or labellum.

The most characteristic pattern of the orchid flower is gynandrium or coloumn which is a highly complex structure formed by the adnation of the stamens style and the stigma.

The androecium is usually represented by one or two sessile anthers.

The gynoecium is tricarpellary and syncarpouswith an inferior ovary.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is usually a capsule opening laterally by three to six hygroscopically sensitive valves. The seeds are large in number minute often fusiform and rarely winged.

Pollination and seed dispersal:

The flowers are adpted for insect pollination.The innumerable light seeds are suited to distribution by wind.

Examples:

Cypripedium

Catteleya

Habenaria

Vanda

Cymbidium

Dendrobium

Epidendrum

Orchis

Aeridis

Vanilla planifolia

OXALIDACEAE

2008-11-08T22:33:00.000+05:30

Oxalis dehradunensis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : OXALIDACEAE
The OXALIDACEAE contains 3 genera and 875 species mostly in tropical and subtropical region.In India there are 2 genera and about 12 species distributed mostly in Himalayas. Indian sorrel is a common example found throughout India.
Vegetative characters :
Perennial herbs. Plants often produce fleshy rhizomes or bulbous tubers. The leaves are alternate or radical(Oxalis), digitately (Oxalis) or pinnately(Biophytum) compound and exstipulate.
The leaflets are folded and bent downwards in bud at night. The leaves of many species of Biophytum are sensitive and the leaflets bend down when touched.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The flowers are solitary or subumbellate or racemose.They are bracteate, complete and hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, pentamerous and hypogynous. The calyx is of five imbricate and persistent sepals which are free or united. The corolla is composed of five shortly clawed, free or basally connate petals. The androecium is of 10 stamens in alternate whorls.They are obdiplostemonous. The filaments are connate at the base. The gynoecium is pentacarpellary and syncarpous with a superior five-locular ovary. The styles are five, free and persistent and the stigmas are capitate or shortly divided.
Fruits and seeds :
The fruit is loculicidal capsule. The seeds have a straight embryo enveloped by a fleshy copious endosperm. An explosive aril is often present on the seeds.
Pollination and seed dispersal :
The flowers are protandrous and the pollination is by insects. The seeds are shot off as the capsule opens.
Examples :
Oxalis corniculata
Oxalis pes-caprae,
Oxalis corymbosa
Oxalis latifolia
Oxalis dehradunensis
Biophytum sensitivum

NYMPHACEAE

2008-10-29T08:55:00.000+05:30

NelumboNeucifera(Lotus)

Water lilyViolet

Nymphea pubescens(Water lily)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : NYMPHACEAE
The family is represented by 8 genera and about 90 species most abundant in tropics. In India there are 4 genera and 7 species occurring throughout India.
Vegetative characters :
They are perennial aquatic herbs with a creeping or erect sympodial rhizome. There is a scattered arrangement of vascular bundles.
The leaves are usually large, simple and long petioled, arising from the root stalk or from the slender floating stem (Cabomba). They are usually floating or sometimes emerged as in Nelumbo. often peltate.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The flowers are axillary, solitary, long peduncled, and float on the surface or raised much above the water(Nelumbo) or partially submerged. The flowers are large showy, often sweet scented, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous or more or less epigynous and acyclic to cyclic.
The calyx and corolla are poorly differentiated. The calyx is composed of 3-5 sepals. The sepals are distinct and green or coloured and petioled.
The corolla is polypetalous with three to indefinite and variously coloured or white showy petals. In Nymphea numerous spirally arranged petals gradually pass into stamens.
The androecium is composed of three to indefinite distinct stamens. The gynoecium is of two to three to numeruos carpels. In Nelumboideae there are a large number of carpels which are embedded separately in round pits which are on the flat upper surface of of a swollen spongy and obconical receptacle.
Fruits and seeds :
In Cabomboideae the fruit is a closed indehiscent follicle with one to three pendulous seeds. In Nelumboideae the fruit is indehiscent one seeded nutlet. The seeds are with a large embryo and with no endo ro perisperm. In Nymphaeoideae the fruit is a spongy berry with numerous seeds and it dehisces by swelling of mucilage. The seeds have small embryo and endosperm and abundant perisperm.
Pollination and seed dispersal :
Bright and showy fragrant flowers favour pollination by insect, flies and small beetles.Seed dispersal is mostly by water. Somespecies of Nuphar, Brasenia, and Cabomba are dispersed by ducks which eat the pulp of these fruits greedily.
Examples :
Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus) Kamal Nymphaea nauchali(Indian red water Lily) Nymphaea stellata(Indian blue water Lily) Nymphaea alba (European white water Lily) Victoria amazonica(Royal water Lily)

MYRTACEAE

2008-10-11T19:36:00.000+05:30

Syzigium cumini

Eucalyptus sp.

Callistemon

Psidium guajava (Guava,Amrood,Peru)

Syzygium (Jamun,Jambhul)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK :MYRTACEAE
A large family of 120 genera and 3375 species worldwide. In India there are 14 genera and 165 species occurring chiefly in Eastern India.
Vegetative characters :
Trees or shrubs with aromatic fragrance.
The vascular bundles in the stem are bicollateral and oil glands are present in young stem leaves and floral parts.The leaves are opposite or rarely alternate or crowded at the ends of branches, simple persistent, thick,mostly entire and exstipulate.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The flowers are axillary solitary(Psidium), in racemes (Barringtonia),in heads or spikes(Callistemon) or in cymes(Tristania).
The flowers are bracteate and often have two bracteoles at the base. They are hermaphrodite, actinomorphic,four or five merous, epigynous. The calyx is composed of four or five sepals. The corolla is of five petals. Mostly the stamens are numerous, free, or united into bundles opposite the petals. The gynoecium is two to several carpellary syncarpous and with an inferior ovary having as many locules as the number of carpels. The style is one smooth or bearded at the summit and the stigma is simple. The ovary is crowned by a fleshy disc.
Fruits and seeds :
The fruit is loculicidally or septicidally dehiscent or sometimes indehiscent woody or fibrous or a fleshy berry.
Pollination and seed dispersal :
The flowers are pollinated by insects which visit for nectar secreted by the fleshy disc crowning the ovary.Species like Callistemon are pollinated by birds.The dispersal of seeds takes place by wind or by birds and animals.
Examples :
Eucalyptus (Nilgiri)
Syzygium (Jamun,Jambhul)
Psidium guajava (Guava,Amrood,Peru)
Pimenta officinalis (Allspice)
Callistemon Myrtus communis.

MUSACEAE

2008-10-11T18:14:00.000+05:30

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MUSACEAE
A small family of two genera (Musa and Ensete) In India only one genus Musa with 10 species occurring in the Himalayas western ghats and Assam.
Vegetative characters :
They are perennial large to gigantic herbs attaining a height upto 15 meters. They persist by means of underground rhizome.
The aerial pseudo stem which is usually tall, stout and unbranched is formed by imbricate,sheathing and stiff bases of the leaves. A short conical axis is concealed at the base of the shaft and its growth is terminated by the inflorescence. The axillary shoots provide new growth.
The leaves are spirally arranged, large and oval or oblong with a stout midrib and numerous parallel veins extending to the margins.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The plant produces a single terminal inflorescence which springs from the rhizome and emerges at the top of the pseudo stem.The flowers are arranged collaterally in racemes and are protected by large brightly coloured spathe like bracts.Flowers are mostly unisexual and the plants are monoecious with male flowers in upper bracts and female within the lower bracts.
They are zygomorphic, trimerous and epigynous. The perianth is of six members in two whorls of three each.There are six stamens.The gynoecium is tricarpellary and syncarpous with an inferior ovary. The style is filioform and the stigma is three lobed.
Fruits and seeds:
The fruit is a fleshy berry which does not produce any seeds in cultivated form of Musa.
The seeds have a thick and hard testa.
Pollination and seed dispersal :
Insects pollinate the flowers who visit for the nectar. Sometimes also by nectar seeking birds.Seeds are dispersed by animals.
Examples:
Musa paradisiaca L. subsp. sapientum (Banana. Kela)
There are over 200 varities under cultivation.

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MIMOSEAE

2008-10-03T19:33:00.000+05:30

Parkia biglandulosa

Albizzia procera (किनई )

Adenanthera pavonina

e saman

Acacia nilotica

Acacia auriculaeformis

Adenanthera pavonina

Albizzia lebbek

Mimosa hamata

Albizzia chinensis

Dichrostachys cinerea

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MIMOSEAE
Bentham and Hooker divided the Leguminosae into three subfamilies : Papilionaceae,Caesalpinieae and mimoseae.Most of the recent taxonomist treat them as three distinct families.

MIMOSEAE : There are about 56 genera and2800 species widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions but they are abundant in southern hemisphere. In India this family is represented by 15 genera and 72 species mostly in tropical and subtropical Himalayas and western Peninsular India.

Vegetative characters :

They are mostly trees and shrubs and rarely herbs(Neptunia) or woody climbers, climbing with the help of leaf tendrils (Entada)

The stems of climbing species show anomalous growth in thickness and they become winged. Tannin sacs and gum passages are common in pith and medullary rays.

The leaves are usually alternat and bipinnate or rarely simply pinnate as in Inga. The stipules are present and in some species of Acacia they are modified into thorns. In many species of Australian acacia the leaves are represented by simple green phyllodes. The leaves of Mimosa and Neptunia are sensitive to touch and assume a sleep position.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The minute flowers are generally in dense globose headsbut sometimes they are spikate or racemose(Prosopis and some Acacias). In dicrostachys the spikes are dimorphic.

The flowers are actinomorphic, bisexual or rarely unisexual or polygamous, mostly pentamerous and hypogynous.

The calyx is composed of usually five sepals which are united into a short tube. the corolla is also usually of five petals.

The number and cohesion of stamens show much variation.Generally they are numerous. The Gynoecium is of single carpel. The ovary is superior and unilocular with usually several ovules along the ventral suture. The style and stigma are one.

Fruits and seeds :

The fruit is legume or indehiscent.In several species of Acacia the fruit is lomentum. It is constricted between the seeds and breaks into one seeded segments. The seeds are with scanty endosperm.

Pollination and seed dispersal :

The flowers are pollinated by insects which are attracted by long exerted and beautifully coloured stamens. The seeds are dispersed by wind, birds or animals.

Examples :

Mimosa pudica (Sensitive plant)Lajalu

Mimosa hamata

Acacia nilotica,(Babhul) Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia auriculaeformis, Acacia concinna, Acaciacatechu, Acacia ferruginea, Acacia leucophloea

Albizzia lebbek, Albizzia procera, Albizziaodoratissima,Albizzia amara, Albizzia chinensis,

Pithecolobium dulce

Dichrostachys cinerea(Sigamkathi)

Prosopis juliflora

Xylia xylocarpa
Adenanthera pavonina(Ratangunj)

MORACEAE

2008-09-29T21:03:00.000+05:30

Ficus benghalensis

Artocarpus lakoocha

Morus alba

Morus alba

Artocarpus incisa

Broussonetia papyrifera

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MORACEAE
A family of 53 genera and 1400 species, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions.In India the family is represented by 15 genera and 150 species occurring mostly in tropical and sub tropical Himalayas and Assam.
Vegetative characters :
They are mostly trees or shrubs or rarely herbs as in Dorstenia. Some species of Ficus climb on other trees with the help of aerial clasping roots.
Many species of Ficus produce aerial roots which form great pillars supporting the branches. The tree attains immense size.
The leaves are alternate, rarely opposite, simple, peni-or palminerved and stipulate. The stipules are caducous and leave a scar when they fall off. they are small and lateral or intra petiolar.
Ficus krishnae has a curious cup shaped leaves.
Inflorescences and flowers :
The small flowers are basically arranged in cym0ose inflorescences which form spikes,heads disks or hollow receptacles. In Morus the male flowers are arranged in Catkins and the female in pseudo spikes. In Artocarpus the male flowers are arranged in pseudo catkins and the female in pseudo heads. In ficus a very large number of flowers are born on the inner side of a hollowed out globose or pear shaped receptacle. It has a narrow apical orifice which is closed by a small overlapping bracts.There are three types of flowers male female and gall flowers the latter are sterile female flowers. The species of Ficus are monoecious or dioecious. In the former, all the three kinds of flowers are present in the same receptacle. In dioecious species the male and gall flowers are are born in the receptacle of one plant and the female flowers in the receptacles on the other plant.
Many species of Ficus are cauliflorus, bearing flowers on old parts of trunk, while several others are geocarpic fruiting on underground stolons which arise from the baes of the trunk.
The flowers are unisexual actinomorphic and hypogynous to epigynous.
The perianth consists of usually four persistent, free or more or less united tepals which are valvate or imbricate in bud. The stamens are usually four. Sometimes they are only one or two stamens as in Ficus and Artocarpus.The anthers are versatile, dithecous and opening lengthwise.
In the female flowers the gynoecium consists of basically two syncarpous carpels. The ovary is superior(Morus) or inferior(Dorstenia). unilocular with a solitary more or less curved ovule pendulous from the apex. The styles are mostly two and filiform.
Fruits and Seeds :
The fruit is an Achene(Ficus) or a drupe(Morus). The seeds are non endospermic or endospermic and generally with a curved embryo.
Pollination and seed dispersal :
The flowers of Morus and some genera are pollinated by wind. Ficus shows an extraordinary mode of pollination by a special gall wasp.
Examples:
Morus alba,nigra,macroura,laevigata,serrata Ficus largest genus with 800 species Ficus benghalensis L. Banyan,Wad Ficus religiosa (Peepal) Ficusramosa synFicus glomerulata(Gular) Ficus infectoria(Pilkhan)
Ficus virens Ficus krishnae Ficus elastca(Indian rubber tree)
Ficus carica(Fig Anjir)
Artocarpus altilis
Artocarpus incisa
Artocarpus lakoocha
Broussonetia papyrifera(Paper mulberry)

MELASTOMATACEAE

2008-09-23T20:13:00.000+05:30

Melastoma malabathricum

Memecylon umbellatum

Memecylon umbellatum buds

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MELASTOMATACEAE

vegetative characters:

Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees. Leaves opposite, entirely of nearly so, often palmately 3-7 nerved; stipules none. Flowers regular, bisexual, in spikes, panicles or corymbs, rarely solitary or clustered. Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary and more or less prolonged beyond it; limb 4-5 lobed, lobes deciduous. Petals as many as the calyx-lobes, on the margin of the calyx-limb. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals, inserted with them; filaments inflexed in the bud; connective generally prolonged and often much enlarged. Ovary 4-5 celled (in Memecylon 1-celled); ovules very many (except in Memecylon); seeds minute, very many (in Memecylon one only).

Leaves palmately 3-7 nerved. Stamens unequal, seeds many--MELASTOMA.

Leaves penninerved. Stamens equal, seed one--MEMECYLON.

Examples:
Melastoma malabathricum.

Memecylon umbellatum(Anjani)

MELIACEAE

2008-09-23T19:20:00.000+05:30

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MELIACEAE
(MAHOGANY FAMILY)
The Mahogany family contains 50 genera and 1400 species distributed exclusively in the tropical regions of the world. In India there are 19 genera and 72 species occurring mostly in the peninsular India.
Vegetative characters:
They are mostly trees and shrubs, often with hard and scented wood.
The leaves are alternate, exstipulate and usually pinnate or rarely 3-pinnate(Melia azadirachta) or simple(Turraea). The leaflets are opposite or alternate., usually entire and more or less oblique at the base.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The inflorescence is usually an axillary cymose panicle.
The flowers are actinomorphic, hermaphrodite and hypogynous.
The calyx is composed of 3-6 sepals which are united or rarely free.
The corolla is also composed of 3-6 petals which are free or rarely connate at the base.
The androecium has four to 12 stamens which are inserted outside the base of the hypogynous disc. The filaments are mostly connate in a tube(monadelphous) but they are sometimes free as in Cedrela and Chloroxylon. The anthers are sessile on the staminal tube, included or axserted, dithecous, introrse and dehiscing longitudinally. A nectariferous disc is often present between the stamens and the ovary. The gynoecium is two to five carpellary and syncarpous with a superior two to five locular ovary. The style is short or absent and the stigma is discoid or capitate.
Fruits and seeds :
The fruit is loculicidal or septicidal capsule or sometimes baccate or drupaceous.
Pollination is usually by insects which visit them for nectar.
The winged seeds of toona are dispersed by wind. In others the dispersal may be by bats and birds or by squirrels.
Examples:
Swietenia mahogani (West Indies Mahogany)
Swietenia macrophylla
Khaya senegalensis (African Mahogany)
Toona ciliata Chickrassia tabularis (Chittagong wood)
Chloroxylon swietenia(Satin wood)
Azadirachta indica(Neem)Kadulimb
Melia azedarach(Bankayan)Bakana nimb
Melia dubia(कडू खजूर; निम्बारा )
Aphanamixis polystachya syn. Aphanamixis rohituka syn.Amoora rohituka

MALVACEAE

2008-09-10T18:58:00.000+05:30

Kydia calycena

Dombeya acutangula

Abutilon persicum

Abelmoschus manihot

Sida acuta

Abutilon indicum

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MALVACEAE
In India the family is representaed by 22 genera and 110 species occurring mostly in warmer parts.Benthem and Hooker divided the family into four subfamilies, Malveae,Ureneae,Hibisceae and Bombacaceae. Bommbacaceae is not covered here as it has been explained elsewhere.
Vegetative characters :
The members are mostly annual or perennial herbs, but in the tropics they are shrubs or rarely soft wooded trees. The stem is fibrous with inner bark often tenacious. The herbaceous portions are often more or less covered with stellate hairs.
The leaves are alternate, simple,entire.
Inflorescence and flowers :
The inflorescences are either axillary, solitary, or fascicled and often form long terminal racemes.
The flowers are hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual or polygamous, actinomorphic, pentamerous and hypogynous.
The calyx is frequently subtended by an involucre of bracteoles which form the epicalyx. It protects the younf flower bud. The calyx is usually of five, free or connate sepals which show valvate aestivation. The corolla has five petals which are often large and showy, free or basally connate with the staminal coloumn as in Hibiscus. The petals show twisted or imbricate aestivation.
The androecium has numerous stamens which are monadelphous. The filaments are united to form a staminal coloumn around the ovary. The staminal cploumn is divided at the apex and bears reniform monothecous anthers.The pollen grains are covered by spines.
The gynoecium is of two to many fused carpels which are arranged in a whorl around the central axis. The ovary is superior.
Fruits and seeds :
The fruit is loculicidal capsule as in Hibiscus and gossipium or more often it is a dry indehiscent, In sida, Malva and Abutilon schizocarps separate from one another and from the persistent central axis and each one seeded or occasionally two to many seeded as in some species of Abutilon. The seeds are reniform or obovoid with scanty endosperm . They are often pubescent or densely clothed with wooly hairs as in Gossipium.
The flowers are mostly insect pollinated.The seeds of gossipium are dispersed by wind. In some species such as Urena lobata the seeds have hooked spines which are dispersed by adhesion to animals and human.
Examples:
Gossipium (Cotton):(Marathi: Kapus)extensively cultivated in the tropics for fibre. The cultivated forms arise mainly from G.barbadense and G.hirsutum(America) and G.arboreum and G.hirbaceum in India, Egypt and other countries.
Several species are grown as ornamentals:
Hibiscus rosasinensis
Hibiscus schizopetalous
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Hibiscus mutabilis
Hibiscus esculentus(Lady's finger,Okra,Bhendi) used as vegetable.
Sida cordifolia
Sida acuta
Sida rhombifolia
Abutilon
Urena lobata
Thespesia lampas
Thespesia populnea
Kydia calycena

MAGNOLIACEAE

2008-09-02T19:05:00.000+05:30

Talauma mutabilis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK :MAGNOLIACEAE

A small family with 230 species in the world mostly distributed in tropical Asia and tropical America but extending to north temperate zone. In India there are 8 genera and 27 species mainly in north temperate zone in the Himalayas.

Vegetative characters :

The Magnoliaceae are evergreen or deciduous trees often aromatic trees or shrubs but sometimes woody climbers.

The leaves are alternate, simple, entire and stipulate. The leaves are sometimes clustered at upper nodes as in Illicium. They are often pellucid dotted. The stipules are large and deciduous, enclosing next young bud.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are usually solitary, terminal or axillary; sometimes they are crowded near the tips of the branches. They are subtended by a spathaceous deciduous bract. The flowers are showy and large, actinomorphic and usually hermaphrodite and hypogynous with an elongated floral axis on which floral parts arranged spirally.

The perianth is differentiated or undifferentiated into calyx and corolla.

The numerous free stamens are arranged on the conical receptacle. The anthers are adnate or basifixed, dithecous introrse or sometimes extrorse and opening longitudinally.

The numerous free carpels are arranged spirally on the floral axis above the stamens.

The ovary of each carpel is superior, unilocular with one to several anatropous or amphitropous ovules on ventral suture. The style is usually short and stigmatose on the inner surface.

Fruits and seeds :

The individual flower is a follicle(Magnolia) or Samara (Liriodendron) or berry (Schizandra)

Flowers are pollinated by bees and beetles.Dispersal of seeds takes place by birds,squirrels,rats or monkeys which carry off fruits.

Examples :

Magnolia

Michelia

Liriodendron

Talauma mutabilis (कवठी चाफा )

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : LYTHRACEAE

2008-08-24T17:58:00.000+05:30

Lagerstroemia microcarpa

Lagerstroemia

Woodfordia

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : LYTHRACEAE

In India 13 genera and 50 species occur throughout tropical India.

The common examples are pomegranate, Henna and crape myrtle.

Vegetative characters:

Herbs shrubs or trees.

The important anatomical feature is the presence of bicollateral vascular bundles in the stem.

The leaves are usually opposite or sometimes whorled, simple and entire.

The stipules are absent or very small.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are terminal and solitary or cymose or axillary solitary or in small trichotomous cymes or in racemes or in panicles.

The flowers are actinomorphic or sometimes zygomorphic as in Cuphea, hermaphrodite, usually four-,six-,or eight-merous and peri or epigynous.

Usually a hypanthium is present from which sepals petals and stamens appear to arise.

The sepals are four six or eight springing from the margin of the hypanthium. The aestivation is valvate.

The hypanthium is frequently subtended by an epicalyx of connate bracts. The petals are as many as the sepals. The stamens are usually twice as many as the petals and are inserted below the petals. In Punica and Lagerstroemia they are numerous and are in many whorls. The gynoecium is two to six carpellary and syncarpous.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is usually a capsule dehiscing transversely or by valves or irregularly. In Punica it is a berry with a thick and leathery pericarp. The seeds are non endospermic and with a straight embryo. In Punica the outer seed coat becomes pulpy and it contains juice.

Pollination and seed dispersal:

The flowers are pollinated by bees which visit them for nectar which is collected in lower part of the hypanthium tube. The seeds are dispersed by wind water or by birds and animals.

Examples:

Lagerstroemia flos –reginae (syn) L. speciosa. (Queen crape myrtle)Tamhan

Lagerstroemia indica(Crape myrtle)

Lagerstroemia parviflora

Lagerstroemia lanceolata

Lawsonia inermis(syn)L.alba (Henna, Mehendi)

Punica granatum(Pomegranate)

Woodfordia fruticosa(Dhayti)

LORANTHACEAE

2008-08-20T18:24:00.000+05:30

FAMILY OF THE WEEK: LORANTHACEAE -- MISTLETOE FAMILY
Around 1300 species are observed throughout the world mostly distributed in tropical and temperate regions.In India the family is represented by 11 genera and 50 species mostly in western ghats and tropical and subtropical Himalayas.The familiar examples are Mistletoe (Viscum) and Banda (Dendropthe falcata)

Vegetative characters:
The plants are mostly semiparasitic shrubs which derive a considerable part of nourishment from the host tree. They are attached to the host with the help of modified adventitious roots (haustoria) which penetrate the bark and sapwood of the host. They attack a wide range of trees.
The stem is sympodial and often dichotomous. In Viscum the terminal bud ends in an inflorescence whereas the lateral buds continue to grow in next season.The branches are often swollen at nodes.
The leaves are usually opposite,persistent,often thick and fleshy,simple and exstipulate.

Inflorescence and flowers:
The flowers are mostly in axillary spikes, racemes or cymes.
The flowers are often showy bisexual or unisexual, actinomorphic or with a tendancy to zygomorphy(Dendropthe) and epigynous.They are usually bracteate and often with a pair of bracteoles.
The perianth is often biseriate with two similar di or tri merous whorls. The tepals are free or united into a tube which often splits down to one side.
The stamens are many.The anthers are dithecous. A pistillode is often present in the staminate flowers and a staminode in female flowers.The gynoecium is bi or tri carpellary and syncarpous
The fruit is a berry or drupe.
Pollination is by insects or small birds.
The fruit is covered by the fleshy outer receptacle which has an outer viscid layer.This adheres to the beak of the birds. When the bird rubs the beak to get rid of the seeds they adhere to the branches of the new host where they germinate and soon develop haustoria which penetrates the tissues.
Examples:
Dendropthe falcata
Viscum album

LILIACEAE

2008-08-13T18:36:00.000+05:30

Gloriosa

Allium cepa

Asparagus

Scila hyacinthina

Cholrophytum

Iphiginia

Tulip

FAMILY OF THE WEEK:LILIACEAE
A large family widely distributed in most parts of the world. In India there are 35 genera and 189 species majority of them occurring chiefly in the Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
They are mostly perennial herbs persisting by means of a sympodial rhizome or by a bulb. Sometimes as in Asparagus they are annual herbs.
Yucca, Dracaena and Aloe are shrubby or treelike with a perennial aerial stem growing in thickness by successive rings of meristem. The species of Smilax and Heterosmilax are woody climbers with often prickly stem. They climb with the help of stipular tendrils which arise from the leaf sheath.
The species of Asparagus are rhizomatous plants with herbaceous or woody erect straggling or climbing stems. The leaves are reduced to tiny scales and the ultimate branches become needle like or flattened. These cladodes take up the function of the leaves. Gloriosa is a perennial tuberous herb with a climbing stem. The climbing is affected by the leaf tip which elongates to form a spiral.
The leaves are basal(Allium,Lilium) or cauline. They are usually alternate, rarely opposite(Gloriosa) or whorled. They vary in shape from linear to broadly ovate. They are fleshy in Aloe with a large water storing tissue. The venation is parallel but in Smilax the leaves are net-veined. In Asparagus the leaves are reduced to minute scales.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Flowers are born in simple or branched racemes. They form apparent umbel in Alium subtended by spathe like bracts. In Yucca The inflorescence is a huge terminal panicle. Sometimes the flowers are solitary terminal as in Lilium.
The flowers are often showy,bisexual, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, usually trimerous and hypogynous.
The perianth is of six tepals arranged in two whorls.They are free or united. The perianth segments are usually petalloid and the two whorls are generally undifferentiated.
Androecium is usually of six stamens in two whorls.The filaments are free or variably connate. The anthers are basifixed, dithecous,introrse or extrorse.
The gynoecium is tricarpellary and syncarpous with a superior and trilocular ovary. The style is usually one with three distinct stigmas. Usually the ovary has three septal nectaries.
The fruit is usually a loculicidal or septicidal capsule or sometimes a berry as in Smilax and polygonatum.
Pollination: Showy fragrant flowers and nectaries are for insect pollination.
Examples:
The family provides several food,drug and fibre plants and many genera are important as ornamentals.
Allium cepa(Onion.Piyaz,kanda)
Allium sativum(Garlic, Lasun)
Asparagus officinalis (Garden asparagus) Fleshy shoots as vegetables.
Asparagus plumosus : several varieties cultivated as ornamentals.
Aloe vera (Korphad)
Scilla hyacinthina (South Indian Squill)
Smilax
Gloriosa superba (Glory lily,Kal-lawi)
Iphigenia indica :Flowers yield red dye.
Lilium(Lily) They rank high among bulbous ornamentals.L.giganteum;L.candidum.
Yucca Tulipa (Tulip)
Dracaena.

LAMIACEAE(LABIATAE)

2008-08-05T19:26:00.000+05:30

Ocimum sanctum

Pogostemon deccanensis

Leea (Dinda)

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : LAMIACEAE (LABIATAE) MINT FAMILY
Rather large family.The Mediterranean region is the chief centre of distribution. In India 64 genera and 380 species occurring chiefly in dry areas and moderate altitudes. The two chief centres of distribution are south India and North western India.The familiar examples include Mentha, Holy basil and Sage.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubs or rarely small trees.
The stems of herbaceous species are often quadrangular.
The leaves are opposite bor sometimes whorled, exstipulate,simple and the blade is from entire to finely multisect as in Salvia.
They are abundantly loaded with epidermal glands secreting volatile aromatic oils which impart characteristic odour.
Inflorescence and flowers:
The inflorescence is usually a dichasial cyme which often becomes cincinal in its later branching.These cymes occur at the leaf axil and often form a whorl of flowers at each node. This type of inflorescence is often called as verticillaster. Each flower is subtendede by a bract and a pair of bracteoles.
The flowers are perfect, hermaphrodite,zygomorphic and hypogynous.
The calyx is persistent and composed of five sepals which show various degree of union.
The corolla is gamopetallous and is differentiated into a tube and a limb. The tube is straight or bent and often widens upwards. The limb is usually two lipped.
The stamens are usually four,didynamous and are inserted on the corolla tube.
The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior,deeply four lobed,bilocular.The stigma is usually bifid.
A hypogynous disc is present at the base of the ovary. It is usually four-lobed.
The fruit is of four one seeded nutlets enclosed by the persistent calyx.
Pollination: The bright coloured flowers with nectar secreting disc are adapted for insect pollination. They are mostly visited by moths and butterflies.
Examples:The Lamiaceae are chiefly valuable as a source of volatile essential oils which are used for flavouring, for perfumery and for medicine and some garden ornamentals.
Ocimum (Basil)Several species yield oils.
Ocimum sanctum(Holy Basil, Tulsi)
Ocimum americanum Ocimum canum(Ran tulas)
Ocimum grattissium(Shrubby basil)
Ocimum basilicum(Sweet basil, Kali Tulas)
Ocimum kilimandscharicum is a rich source of camphor.
Mentha. Several species are useful for essential oils.
Mentha pepperminta:Source of peppermint oil.
Mentha pulegium
Lavandula :source of lavender oil.
Pogostemon Plectranthus Thymus Salvia
Coleus : Herbs with variously coloured, variegated and showy foliage.
Colebrookea oppositifolia
Origanum majorana (Maarwa)
Leonotis
Leea

GERANIACEAE

2008-07-31T22:51:00.000+05:30

Pelargonium x hortorum

Pelargonium x hortorum

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : GERANIACEAE
A family of 5 genera and 570 species and is cosmopolitan in distribution. In India 3 genera and 25 species occurring mostly in Himalayas: wild and cultivated variety.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly herbs.The plants perennate by fleshy rhizomes or bulbous tubers.The stem is succulent and contains watery juice. The plants are glabrous or more commonly glandular pubescent.
The leaves are opposite or alternate, simple or often lobed or divided as in geranium. The stipules are usually present.
Inflorescence and flowers:
The commonest form of inflorescence is cymose.
The flowers are bracteate and usually bracteolate,complete,hermaphrodite,actinomorphic or zygomorphic,pentamerous and hypogynous.
The calyx is of five sepals which are free or rarely united, persistent, imbricate or rarely valvate.The corolla is also composed of five free petals alternating with sepals. The receptacle is scarcely expanded into a disc which has five glands. Usually there are ten stamens in two alternate whorls of five each.The anthers are diathecous introrse and dehiscing longitudinally.In Geranium a nectary is present at the base of each stamen of the inner whorl.
The gynoecium is usually five carpellary and syncarpous with a superior pentalocular ovary. The style is long with five stigmas.
Fruits and seeds:
Fruit is a schizocarpic.Often beaked and five lobed.
Pollination is by a variety of bees which visit the flowers for nectar.The seeds are scattered in all directions as the capsule opens by violence.
Examples:
Geranium wallichianium
Geranium robertianum
Erodium sp.
Pelargonium

GENTIANACEAE

2008-07-23T19:57:00.000+05:30

Exacum petiolare

Exacum

Canscora diffusa

Swertia

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : GENTIANACEAE

About 80 genera and 700 species worldwide.

Vegetative Characters : Herbs [shrubs or small trees], annual, biennial, or perennial. Stems ascending, erect, or twining. Leaves opposite, less often alternate or whorled, simple, base connate; stipules absent. Inflorescences simple or complex cymes, sometimes reduced to sessile clusters, often in a thyrse or 1-flowered. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, 4 or 5 (or 6-8)[-12]-merous. Calyx tubular, obconic, campanulate, or rotate, lobes joined at least basally. Corolla tubular, obconic, salverform, funnelform, campanulate, or rotate, rarely with basal spurs; lobes overlapping to right or rarely valvate in bud; plicae (extensions of the corolla tube between the lobes) present or absent. Stamens inserted on corolla tube or occasionally at sinus between corolla lobes, alternate with lobes; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, 2-locular. Nectaries absent or attached to ovary base or corolla. Ovary usually 1-locular at least apically, rarely 2-locular due to intrusion of a lamellate placenta into locular cavity. Fruit a 2-valved capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds many or rarely few, small; endosperm abundant [scant in saprophytic genera].

Pollination by insects.

Examples:

Exacum

Swertia

Enicostema

Centaurium

Hoppea

Canscora

PAPILIONACEAE(SUBFAMILY OF FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE)

2008-07-18T13:15:00.000+05:30

Butea

Erythrina

Dalbergia lanceolaria

Pongamia pinnata

Crotolaria

Indigofera dalzelli

FAMILY OF THE WEEK

PAPILIONACEAE(SUBFAMILY OF FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE)
This family is cosmopolitan in distribution but abundant in tropical and subtropical regions. In India 748 species occurring chiefly in peninsular India and the Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
They are predominantly herbs or herbaceous climbers; sometimes they are erect or climbing shrubs or trees. The climbers have climbing stems but often they climb with leaf tendrils.
The lateral roots of most plants have nodules which contain nitrogen fixing bacteria(Rhizobium)
The leaves are usually alternate simple,pinnately or digitately compound.In some genera terminal or other leaflets are modified into tendrils. Stipules are present and often stiplets are present. The leaf base is pulvinous.
The leaves of several genera perform sleep movements where the leaflets assume vertical position at night.
Inflorescence and flowers:
The Inflorescence is commonly axillary, leaf opposed or terminal raceme.Sometimes the flowers are arranged in panicles or dense axillary heads or they are solitary.
The flowers are often bracteate as well as bracteolate.They are complete,zygomorphic,hermaphrodite,pentamerous and hypogynous or perigynous.The calyx is composed of usually five sepals more or less united in a tube.The odd sepal is usually anterior.
The corolla is papilionaceous. The five petals are unequal and have a bilateral symmetry.The posterior(outermost) petal is called standard. The lateral pair of petals which are similar to each other and often clawed are called wings. The two anterior petals are united to form the keel which encloses the stamens and carpel.
The androecium is composed of ten stamens which are arranged in a single whorl in mature flower.The stamens are usually diadelphous. The filaments of nine are united into a long tube which encloses the ovary and the tenth posterior stamen remains free.Anthers are uniform but sometimes they are diamorphous. They are dithecous, introrse and dehisce longitudinally.
The gynoecium is monocarpellary with a superior or partly inferior unilocular ovary.The ovules are many to several on the ventral suture and the placentation is marginal.The style is simple and the stigma is capitate or terminal.
Fruits and seeds:
The fruit is a legume or pod dehiscing by one or both sutures into two valves or it is indehiscent.
Seeds are nonendospermic or with scanty endosperm and with a large curved embryo.
Pollination and dispersal:
Generally pollinated by bees or by self pollination.Nectar is present.
The seeds are usually dispersed by birds,animals or by human agency.
Examples and economic importance:
There is a large list of 100 genera and many species so only few are listed here.
The papilionaceae are of great economic importance and find a wide range of usefulness.
They provide important foodstuffs,valuable fodder,fatty oil,useful fibre,timber dyes,gums and several beautiful ornamentals.
The seeds of several species is rich source of starch and proteins and form an important part of our food.The widely used species include:
Pisum sativum L.(Garden pea)
Pisum arvense L.(Field pea)
Cicer arietinum L.(Chick pea,Gram)Tender seeds and shoots also used as vegetable.
Glycine max syn. Glycine soja(Soyabean)
Cajamus cajan syn. C indicus(Pigeon pea.Arhar)
Lens culinaris syn. L.aesculanta (Lentil,Masur)
Vigna mungo syn Phaseolus mungo((Black gram,Urd)
Vigna radiata L. syn Phaseolus radiatus(Green gram,Mug)
Vigna unguiculata syn sinensis(Cow pea)
Vigna aconitifolia syn Phaseolus aconitifolius (Moth)
Phaseolus sublobatus (Gora mung)
Phaseolus vulgaris(Kidney bean,French bean)
Phaseolus lunatus (Lma bean)
Phaseolus coccinius(Multiflora bean)
Dolichos biflorus L.(Horse gram,Kulat)
Lablab purpureus(Hyacinth bean,Sem)
Vicia faba(Field bean,Bankla)
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba syn.Cyamopsis psoralioides.(Cluster beans,Gawar)Seeds are source of Guar gum
Canavalia ensiformis DC (Jack bean)
Arachis hypogaea L. (Ground nut)
Pongamia pinnata syn.Pongamia labra(Pongam oil tree,Karanj)
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus DC (Goa bean)oil from seeds used for cooking and for soap making.
Spatholobus roxburghii
Crotolaria juncea(Sunhemp)Cultivated for making ropes and gunny bags.
Several members provide several pasture and hay plants such as Clovers(Trifolium alexandrium)
Trigonella foenum-graecum(Fenugreek)
The following species provide timber:
Dalbergia sisso(Shisam,Sissoo)
Dalbergia latifolia(East Indian rosewood)
Pterocarpus dalbergioides
Pterocarpus marsupium (Bija)
Pterocarpus santalinus
Pterocarpus indicus
Species cultivated for dyes
Indigofera tinctoria(Indigo)
Pterocarpus santalinus(Red sandalwood,Lal chandan)
Crotolaria striata(Black dye)
Clitorea ternatea Flowers yield blue dye.
Butea monosperma syn.Butea frondosa (Dhak,Palas)Flowers yield fugitive orange red dye.The red juice of the plant is Bengal Kino used as astringent.
Astragalus gummifer is the source of important gum Tragacanth used as emulsifier in confectionary and cosmetic products.

Other examples.
Myoxalum balsamum:gum resins for medicines and perfumery.
Glycerrhiza glabra L.

Psoralea carylifolia

Erythrina: Bark of several species is bacteriostatic against Staph.aureus

Moghania grahamiana;macrophylla;strobiliferia

Lathyrus odoratus(Sweet pea)

EUPHORBIACEAE

2008-07-10T14:18:00.000+05:30

Euphorbia erythroclada

Bridellia retusa

Acalypha indica

Croton bonplandianus

Jatropha nana

Ricinus communis

Sapium insignae

Euphorbia antiquorum

Securinega leucopyrus

Euphorbia pulcherrima

Jatropha curcas

Jatropha gossipyfolia

Family of the week:
EUPHORBIACEAE (Spurge Family)
Large and extremely variable family cosmopolitan in distribution except in arctic region but they are most abundant in tropical region. In India round 61 genera and 336 species mostly in tropical and subtropical Himalayas and in mountains of south India; while all over the world 7500 species.
Vegetative Characters:
The family shows great range in vegetative as well as floral forms. The plants are mostly shrubs or trees and rarely herbs sometimes succulent and cactus-like. The plants often contain a milky latex or sap in special laticiferous vessels.
The leaves are mostly alternate but may be opposite or whorled and they are simple, or compound, or sometimes highly reduced. Stipules are generally present but may be reduced to hairs, glands or spines. In cactus like habits the leaves fall off early and the photosynthesis is carried out by green stems.
Inflorescence and flowers:
The inflorescence is complex. The first branching is usually racemose and the subsequent branching is cymose.
A specialized type of miniature inflorescence called a cyathium occurs in about 1,500 species comprising the genera Euphorbia and Chamaesyce. The cyathium consists of a single naked pistillate flower surrounded by cymes of naked staminate flowers, each consisting of a single stamen.
These flowers are all enclosed in a cup-like involucre that typically is provided with peripheral nectaries and petaloid appendages such that the whole aggregation closely resembles a single flower. In other members of the family the flowers and inflorescences are more ordinary in appearance, with male and female flowers typically bearing a 5-merous calyx and corolla of distinct segments, although the corolla is sometimes absent. In these forms the androecium most commonly consists of 5, 10 or sometimes numerous distinct or monadelphous stamens. The gynoecium of female flowers consists of a single compound pistil of typically 3 carpels, an equal number of styles or primary style branches, and a superior ovary with typically 3 locules, each bearing 1 or 2 collateral, axile-apical pendulous ovules.
The flowers are monoecious;both male and female flowers are naked in Euphorbia whereas in Anthostema both have a tubular perianth. The flowers are unisexual, actinomorphic and hypogynous or rarely perigynous as in Bridellia.The flowers show considerable variation.
The number of stamens in male flowers ranges from one to numerousThe filaments are free or united in the form of a coloumn. A rudimentary ovary is often present in male flowers.An intrastaminal disc is present in flowers with many stamens.
The gynoecium is tricarpellary and syncarpous with a superior and trilocular ovary.The styles are three, often bipartite, free or more or less united. At the base of the ovary a nectiriferous disc is present which is annular or of separate glands.
Fruits and seeds:
Fruit is usually a three chambered schizocarpic capsule.Rarely a drupe or a berry.
Pollination is by insects.Seed dispersal is by explosion of capsule or through water or by birds aor animals.
Examples:
Manihot esculanta (Cassava)
Manihot glaziovii(Manicoba rubber)
Hevea brasiliensis(Para rubber tree)
Emblica officinalis(Amla)
Ricinus communis(Castor bean,Erand)
Croton tiglium
Mallotus philippinensis(Kamela tree)
Jatropha curcas (Purging nut)
Jatropha gossipyfolia
Hura crepitans(Sandbox tree)
Euphorbia pulcherrima
Sapium insignae

DILLENIACEAE

2008-07-01T16:28:00.000+05:30

Dillenia pentagyna

Family of the week : DILLENIACEAE

Mostly tropical and subtropical.
Vegetative characters :Trees,shrubs or twiners (vines).The leaves are simple and alternate,entire or dentate,ususally with numerous promonent parallel lateral nerves; the stipules are absent or wing-like and adnate to the petiole, mostly deciduous.
Flowers :The flowers are actinomorphic and are bisexual or rarely unisexual. The perianth consists of 5 imbricate sepals and usually 5 imbricate petals. The androecium consists of numerous, distinct or fascicled stamens. The gynoecium comprises several distinct, simple pistils, each with a superior ovary and a single locule containing 1-many ovules.
The fruit is a follicle or is berrylike.

Dillenia indica
Dillenia pentagyna

CUCURBITACEAE

2008-06-24T20:28:00.000+05:30

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : CUCURBITACEAE
In India around 37 genera and 97 species,several of which are cultivated throught India. The chief centre of distribution is however East Himalayas.Gourd,Bottle gourd,Cucumber,Red pumpkin and melon are common species known in cultivation.
Vegetative characters:
Succulent,trailing or decumbent annual or perennial herbs, usually climbing by means of tendrils. The tendrils are lateral spirally coiled,simple or variously branched structures.
The stem is usually five angular. The leaves are alternate, long petioled,frequently cordate, simple but often palmately or pinnately lobed or divided and palminerved.Stipules are absent.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Flowers are usually solitary or in cymose inflorescence.The plants are monoecious or dioecious. The flowers are yellow or white, unisexual, actinomorphic, pentamerous and epigynous.The calyx is of five sepals forming a tube adnate to the ovary in female flowers.The aestivation is imbricate or valvate. The corolla is of five petals which are united in a tube or nearly quite free. The corolla is campanulate, rotate or salverform, and the lobes are imbricate.
The androecium shows much variation consisting of basically 5 distinct to completely connate stamens that frequently are twisted, folded or reduced in number.
The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2-5 carpels, generally with one style and as many style branches or major stigma lobes as carpels, and an inferior ovary with one locule and usually numerous ovules on 2-5 parietal placentae or 3 locules with numerous ovules on axile placentae.
The fruit is a fleshy berry-like with soft or hard pericarp. This type of fruit is called pepo.
The seeds are often packed in a pulp or fibre.
Pollination is by insects for nectar secreted by nectariferous disc.
The seeds are dispersed by explosive opening of fruit or by animals and birds.
Examples:
The family provides a large number of fruits which are eaten raw or cooked.
Luffa cyllindrica(L.) syn Luffa egyptiaca. Gourd.
Luffa acutangula Roxb.
Lagenaria siceraria; Lageneria vulgaris(Bottle gourd;Lauki)
Cucumis sativus L.(Cucumber,Khira)
Cucumis melo L.(Melon,Kharbuz)
Cucumis melo L.variant momordica(Phut)
Cucumis melo L. var. utilissimus (Kakri)
Citrullus lanatus;Citrullusvulgaris (Watermelon,Tarbuz)
Cucurbita moschata (Pumpkin)
Cucurbita maxima (Red pumpkin)
Cucurbita melo (Field pumpkin)
Binincasa hispida (White gourd;Petha)
Momordia charantia (Bitter gourd;Karela)
Trichosanthes anguina (Snake gourd;Chachinda)
Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.(Pointed gourd;Padwal)
Coccinia cordia;Coccinia indica (Ivy gourd)

CONVOLVULACEAE

2008-06-16T20:15:00.000+05:30

Ipomoea carnea(Besharam)

Ipomoea quamoclit(Ganesh vel)

Evolvulus alsinoides(Vishnukrant)

Argyria cuneata

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : CONVOLVULACEAE
In India about 20 genera and 158 species occuring chiefly in southern and western India.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly herbs or shrubs often twining and very rarely trees.
The species of cuscuta are leafless and rootless total parasite with threadlike twinning stem which draws food material from host through suckers.
Sometimes as in Ipomoea batatas, the roots store great quantities of food and become thick and fleshy.The plants often contains latex.
The leaves are alternate,exstipulate,simple,sometimes pinnately(I.quamoquilt) or palmately(I.pes-tigridis) divided. In cuscuta the leaves are reduced to small scales.
Inflorescence and flowers:
The inflorescence is an axillary cyme or sometimes the flowers are solitary as in Calystegia.
The flowers are bracteate and the bracts are in pairs or sometimes forming an involucre as in Ipomoea pes-tigridis. They are often showy, perfect, bisexual,actinomorphic,pentamerous and hypogynous.
The calyx is deeply five lobed, persistent and sometimes enlarged in fruit. The corolla is gamopetalous, five lobed, campanulate,funnel shaped or subglobose.
The stamens are five epipetalous at the base. The anthers are oblong, diathecous, introrse and dehiscing longitudinally.
The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous with a superior ovary. The style is filiform and one but in Cuscuta there are two styles. The stigma is capitate, bilobed or two branched.
A ring like or cup shaped nectariferous disc present at the base of the ovary is often lobed.
Fruit is usually four or two valved capsule.The seeds are smooth or hairy.
Bright and showy flowers favor insect pollination.Funnel shaped flowers of Ipomoea are visited by nectar sucking birds.The seeds are dispersed by birds and animals.
Examples :
Ipomoea
Argyreia(Wooly morning glory)
Calonyction
Porana

COMMELINACEAE

2008-06-09T18:27:00.000+05:30

Commelina benghalensis

Commelina forsskalaei

Murdannia lanuginosa

Cyanotis

FAMILY OF THE WEEK:COMMELINACEAE
It is a monocot family.
In India 10 genera and 76 species found in southern and western India and tropical eastern Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
Annual or perennial succulent herbs with knotted stems. Occasionally twinning herbs.
Roots are fibrous; sometime much thicker and tuberous.
Leaves alternate, entire,ovate lanceolate or linear,parallel veined and usually with a closed basal membranous sheath. Calcium oxalate crystals are often present in the tissues.
Inflorescence and flowers:
Usually helicoid cyme arising in the axil of foliage leaf or of a spathe like boat shaped bract.
Flowers usually bisexual, more or less irregular trimerous and hypogynous. Perianth is distinctly biseriate. The three outer tepals are sepal like herbaceous and green, often persistent and usually free or sometimes connate below. The inner three are petal like, white or blue, macrescent equal or unequal free or rarely united into a slender tube (Cyanotis)
Androecium: Basically six stamens in two alternate and trimerous whorls opposite the perianth segments. The filaments are usually free and often dissimilar.
Gynoecium: is tricarpellary and syncarpous with a superior and trilocular ovary. Style is one and stigma is capitate or threefid.
Fruit is usually loculicidal capsule.
Seeds are mostly muricate, ridged or reticulate.
Bright petals of the flower favors insect pollination.
Fruits are distributed by animals and birds.
Examples:
Commelina Cyanotis Pollia Murdania Floscopa Tonningia Belosynapsis

COMBRETACEAE

2008-06-04T20:42:00.000+05:30

Anogeissus latifolia

Terminalia arjuna (अर्जुन)

Terminalia tomentosa (ऐन)

Anogeissus sericea (धावडा)

Combretum albidum (पीलूकी)

Combretum albidum (पीलूकी)

In India there are about 8 genera and 44 species occurring in most parts chiefly in Assam.

Vegetative characters:

Trees or shrubs, often climbing. Some of the climbers are twinning and others climb with the help of the hooks which are persistent bases of the petioles. The plants are usually rich in tannin.

The leaves are alternate or rarely subopposite or opposite,simple or rarely trifoliate as in Illigera and exstipulate.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are usually sessile and are born in racemose inflorescences which are often panicled.

The flowers are bisexual or rarely unisexual , actinomorphic, usually pentamerous and epigynous.

The calyx is typically of five sepals which are united to form a tube. The corolla is of five petals alternating with sepals. Sometimes the petals are absent in Terminalia and Anogeissus.The stamens are twice as many as petals ,in two alternate whorls. The filaments are inflexed in buds. The anthers are versatile, dithecous. The gynoecium has inferior ovary which is unilocular with two to six anatropous ovules. The style is one with a simple stigma.

A nectariferous disc is present on the summit of the ovary.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is dry or mdrupaceous, generally indehiscent, angular or more often winged.

The seed is one and without endosperm.

Pollination and Seed dispersal

Pollination is by insects visiting for nectar. In combretum by humming birds and even butterflies.

The fruits are dispersed by water and by wind.

Examples:

Terminalia. An exclusively tropical genus and about a dozen species occur in India.

Terminalia catappa (Indian almond) is largely cultivated in India for its edible nuts.

Many species such as T.alata(syn.T.tomentosa)T.panniculata,T.bialata, T. catappa and T. myricarpa provide valuable timber largely useful in construction work.

Fruits of many Terminalia such as T.bellerica T. arjuna ,T.glabra have medicinal values and figure in international commerce.

Quisqualis indica L.(Rangoon creeper) cultivated for ornamental purposes throughout India.

CASUARINACEAE

2008-05-26T22:23:00.000+05:30

Casuarina equisetifolia

A small family of two genera and 65 species confined to the southern hemisphere from South East Asia to northeast Australia. In India the family is represented by single genus and single species which occurs on east side of Bay of Bengal from Chittagong southwards and also cultivated in several parts of India.

Horse-tail tree (Casuarina equisetifolia) is the familiar example of the family.

Vegetative characters:

They are much branched evergreen trees or shrubs of xerophytic habit with long or short, green , cylindrical and striate, whorled and jointed branches. The internodes of branches are furrowed. The leaves are in whorls of four to sixteen depending upon the species. They are small scale like linear lanceolate and are always basally connate forming a sheath surrounding the node.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The flowers are unisexual and the trees are monoecious or dioecious.

The male flowers are born in catkin like spikes which are terminal at the end of the green branchlets. At each of node of the Inflorescence axis there are several flowers protected by a sheath formed of the combined bracts. The stamens hang out over the edge of the sheath.

The female flowers are crowded in dense spherical or ovoid heads at the ends of the short lateral branches. The perianth is absent and the flowers are naked. The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous with a superior ovary.

Fruits and seeds:

The fruit is a samaroid indehiscent nut enclosed by persistent woody bracteoles which separate on maturity. The fruits are aggregated into a dry woody cone- like multiple fruit. The seeds are nonendospermic with straight embryo and flat cotyledons.

Pollination is by wind. Seed dispersal of Casuarina equisetifolia is by sea.

Economic importance:

The wood of several species of Casuarina is valued for hardness. The wood of Casuarina equisetifolia is known as ironwood. Some species are grown for ornament.

CARYOPHYLLACEAE

2008-05-26T21:43:00.000+05:30

CARYOPHYLLACEAE

In India this family consists of 20 genera and 105 species mostly in temperate regions.

Vegetative characters:

Mostly annual or perennial herbs and rarely under shrubs . Stellaria aquatica is an aquatic herb.

The root is usually a tap root and the stem is often swollen at nodes.

The leaves are opposite or rarely alternate, simple, mostly linear to lanceolate and sessile. The two leaves at the stem are often connected basally around the stem. The stipules are usually absent.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The Inflorescence is typically dichasial cyme often terminating the main axis. A branch is formed in the axil of each bracteole of the main axis but one of the branches tends to outgrow the other and in the ultimate branching the weaker branch fails to develop. Thus the Inflorescence which is dichasial cyme in its initial branching pass into scorpioid cyme. This type of Inflorescence is very characteristic of the family and is known as cincinnus or caryophyllus type of Inflorescence.

The flowers are hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual, actinomorphic, pentamerous and hypogynous or rarely slightly perigynous as in arenaria.

The calyx is usually five basally connate sepals .

The corolla has as many petals as the sepals. The petals are free and are usually differentiated into a limb and a claw. The stamens are usually twice the number of petals in two equal and alternate whorls. They show obdiplostemonous condition. The filaments are distinct or slightly connate at the base.

The gynoecium is of two or three to five fused carpels.the ovary is superior or slightly inferior and unilocular with free central placentation.

A disc is present at the base of the stamens which is annular or divided into glands.

The fruit is membranous or crustaceous capsule opening by valves or apical teeth.

The seeds are endospermic with more or less curved embryo.

Pollination is by insects.

The seeds are dispersed by water, wind or by adhesion or by birds, animals and human agency.

Examples:

The family is valuable for its large colourful ornamental flowers which are easily grown.

Dianthus species are cultivated for very showy flowers.

Dianthus caryophylus. (Carnation)

Dianthus plumarius

Dianthus latifolius

Dianthus barbatus

Vaccaria pyramidata

Silene

Lychnis

Gypsofila

Cerastium

Arenaria

Stellaria media; S.vestita

Spergula arvensis

CAPPARIDACEAE

2008-05-06T21:15:00.000+05:30

Capparis grandis

Cadaba fruiticosa

Capparis decidua(aphylla)

Crataeva nurvala

Maerua oblongifolia

CAPPARIDACEAE OR CAPER FAMILY
In India 7 genera and 53 species occuring in western and south India and few in tropical Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
The family includes herbs shrubs and climbers.They contain watery sap.
The leaves are alternate and simple(Capparis) or more commonly palmately compound(3-9 foliolate).The stipules are usually present which may be foliaceous(Cleome) or spinose(Capparis).
Inflorescence and flowers : The flowers are solitary and in fascicles of 3 or4 but more commonly the are racemose.
The flowers are bracteate,complete, usually bisexual actinomorphic or some what zygomorphic by unequal development of members as in Capparis, tetramerous and hypogynous.
The calyx is usually of four sepals which are free or basally connate with valvate or imbricate aestivation.The four sepals are arranged in two series. The posterior sepal forms a hood like structure in Capparis.
The corolla is of four free petals but occasionally the are two(Cadaba) or altogether absent(Roydsia).The petals are diagonal,often clawed and valvate or imbricate.They are inserted on the edge of a disc in Maerua.
The androecium is of four to numerous free stamens.An androphore is present in some species of Cleome.
The gynoecium is usually bicarpellary and syncarpous; the ovary is sessile or elevated on a short or long gynophore, unilocular with two or four parietal placentae. The style is usually short with a bilobed or a capitate stigma.
The fruit is a capsule dehiscing by two valves(Cleome) or a berry(Capparis) or drupaceous. The seeds are angled or reniform, nonendospermic and with an incurved embryo.
Pollination and dispersal : The pollination is by insects which visit flowers for nectar secreted by the disc.The fruits are dispersed by water current(Crataeva) or by cattle by adhesion due to viscid exudation.
Examples :
Capparis
Cleome gynandra
Crataeva nurvala
C. religiosa
Maerua oblongifolia
Cadaba fruiticosa

CAESALPINIACEAE

2008-04-20T12:12:00.000+05:30

Colvillea racemosa

Bauhinia

Cassia grandis

Parkinsonia aculeata

Tamarindus indica

Delonix regia

CAESALPINIACEAE
Bentham and Hooker divided the Leguminosae into three subfamilies : Papilionaceae,Caesalpinieae and mimoseae.Most of the recent taxonomist treat them as three distinct families.

CAESALPINIACEAE is a very big family, mostly tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs comprising about 150 genera and 2,200 species.In India 23 genera and 80 species chiefly in western peninsular india.
Vegetative characters:
Mostly trees or shrubs or rarely herbs. Occasionally woody climbers.
The leaves are stipulate, alternate, and mostly pinnately compound but may be bipinnate or simple.The leaf base is often swollen.
Inflorescence is racemose or pannicle rarely cymose.
The flowers are mostly large and showy, zygomorphic,pentamerous, bisexual and hypogynous or perigynous.
The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each; the petals are distinct, overlapping (i.e., imbricate) in bud, with the posterior one (flag or banner) innermost in position.
In tamarindus and Amherstia only the Three upper petals are developed and the two lower are reduced to scales.The petals are altogether absent in Saracca.
The androecium usually consists of 1-10 distinct or variously united stamens, some of which are commonly reduced to nonfunctional staminodes.
The pistil is simple, consisting of one style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules.
The fruit is usually a legume.
The pollination is by insects or birds and the seed dispersal is by wind or by animals.
Examples:

Bauhinia
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Tamarindus indica
Cassia
Hardwickia binata
Delonix regia
Saraca indica
Parkinsonia aculeata
Amherstia nobilis
Colvillea racemosa

CACTACEAE

2008-04-20T11:14:00.000+05:30

Epiphyllum oxypetalum

CACTACEAE

30-200 genara and around 200 species.
The family is almost restricted exclusively to the drier regions of north and south America and is most abundant in Mexico and central America.
Several species of Opuntias have been naturalised in India.
Vegetative characters :
The members of the family are mostly fleshy and succulent, and some grow upto 20 meters high.
The root system is generally small and shallow with elongated slender and fleshy roots.
Cactus stems are fleshy,peculiar and of various shapes. The leaves are alternate, generally extremely reduced and ephemeral or absent, or rarely they are well developed and fleshy. The leaves are associated with highly modified axillary buds or shoots called areoles that bear spines.
The inflorescence is a terminal or lateral panicle in Pereskia but in majority the flowers are solitary born upon or near the areole or on the axiles of tubercles.
The flowers are sessile often large bright coloured and showy, mostly bisexual and actinomorphic and commonly have many weakly differentiated perianth segments arising from an epigynous zone.
The androecium typically consists of a very large number of stamens arising from the inner face of the epigynous zone.
The gynoecium consists of a compound pistil of 3-many carpels, an equal number of stigmas, and an equal number of parietal placentae with numerous ovules in the single locule of the inferior ovary.
The fruit is a berry with numerous seeds, often with spines or bristles.
Large showy flowers are adapted for insect pollination.
Fruits are sweet in taste and are often distributed by animals.

Examples and Uses:
The fruits of several species of opuntias are edible.
Species of opuntias Nopalaea etc are used for hedges along the fields.
Cochineal dye is derived from the small insect living on the species of Opuntias and Nopalaea.
Timber is obtained from Pereskia.
Spineless opuntia is grown as fodder.
Because of their peculiar forms and gorgeous flowers several species of Mammilaria,Epiphyllum,Cereus,Echinocereus are grown in green houses.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum -ब्र्म्हकमळ

BALSAMINACEAE

2008-04-11T19:08:00.000+05:30

Impatiens scabrida

Impatiens balsamina

Impatiens dalzelli

Impatiens lawii

BALSAMINACEAE

Two genera and more than 900 species: mainly in tropical and subtropical Africa, some species in temperate Asia, Europe, and North America; two genera and 228 species (187 endemic, two introduced) in China; three additional species (all endemic) are of uncertain placement.

All but one of the species in the family belong to Impatiens. The unispecific Hydrocera is confined to India and SE Asia.

Herbs annual or perennial [rarely epiphytic or subshrubs]

Stems erect or procumbent, usually succulent, often rooting at lower nodes.

Leaves simple, alternate, opposite, or verticillate, not stipulate, or sometimes with stipular glands at base of petiole, petiolate or sessile, pinnately veined, margin serrate to nearly entire, teeth often glandular-mucronate.

Flowers bisexual, protandrous, zygomorphic, resupinate to through 180° in axillary or subterminal racemes or pseudo-umbellate inflorescences, or not pedunculate, fascicled or solitary.

Sepals 3(or 5) ; lateral sepals free or connate, margins entire or serrate; lower sepal (lip) large, petaloid, usually navicular, funnelform, saccate, or cornute, tapering or abruptly constricted into a nectariferous spur broadly or narrowly filiform, straight, curved, incurved, or ± coiled, swollen at tip, or pointed, rarely 2-lobed, rarely without spur.

Petals 5, free, upper petal (standard) flat or cucullate, small or large, often crested abaxially, lateral petals free or united in pairs (wing).

Stamens 5, alternating with petals, connate or nearly so into a ring surrounding ovary and stigma, falling off in one piece before stigma ripens; filaments short, flat with a scalelike appendage inside; anthers 2-celled, connivent, opening by a slit or pore.

Gynoecium 4- or 5-carpellate, syncarpous; ovary superior, 4- or 5-loculed, each locule with 2 to many anatropous ovules; style 1, very short or ± absent; stigmas 1-5.

Fruit an indehiscent berry, or a 4- or 5-valved loculicidal fleshy capsule, usually dehiscing elastically. Seeds dispersed explosively from opening valves, without endosperm; testa smooth or tuberculate.

Examples: Different species of Impatiens.Terada

BIXACEAE

2008-04-11T18:30:00.000+05:30

BIXACEAE
A small family. It has only one genus and about four species. It is recognised by reddish sap,palminerved leaves,horse shoe shaped anthers and seeds with red fleshy testa. Bixaceae is mainly found in south america. An orange edible dye produced from the -testa of Bixa orellina called "annatto" is used to colour butter cheese and other food products.It is known as Rocou in french. and Shendri in Marathi. Only one plant known Bixa orellina (Lipstick plant) शेंदरी

Characters:
Leaves alternate heart shaped, simple entire
Sepals 4-7.Petals 5.Stamens indefinite distinct inserted upon the receptacle at the base of the calyx. Anthers 2- celled Ovary superior.
Fruit capsule or berry.

BORAGINACEAE

2008-04-02T20:23:00.000+05:30

BORAGINACEAE ( BORAGE FAMILY)
In India chiefly in temperate and alpine Himalayas ahd drier parts of southern,western and northern India.
Members : Generally annual or perennial herbs.Some are trees and shrubs (Ehretia and Cordia)
Flowers of these herbs are a favourite with butterflies,bees and other insects.Milkweed butterflies are seen on these plants,which yield essential alkaloids (necessary for butterfly reproduction) to them Leaves :simple, mostly entire, and alternate; stipules are lacking. In most species pubescent and hairy.
Inflorescence and flowers : Usually characteristic dorsiventral terminal axillary or leaf opposed cincinus inflorescences which consists of one or more coiled scorpoid or helicoid cymes that become uncoiled as the flowers open.Rarely flowers are solitary.
Flowers : bisexual and actinomorphic, hypogynous pentamerous.
Calyx : Five distinct or connate sepals. Calyx generally persistent.
Corolla : Five fused petals.Shape variable -rotate,salverform,funnelform or tubular. Often small appendages in throat.
Androecium : 5 distinct stamens adnate to the corolla tube or perigynous zone and alternate with the corolla lobes.
Gynoecium : consists of a single compound pistil of 2 carpels, a single, often gynobasic style, and a superior, often deeply 4-lobed ovary with 4 locules, each containing a single basal-axile ovule. An annular nectary disk is sometimes present.
Fruits and seeds : 4 1-seeded nutlets or a 1-4-seeded nut or drupe.
Flowers are adapted for insect pollination
Pericarp of the fruit is covered with barbed or hooked bristles -animal dispersal.
Examples :
Species of several genara grown as ornamentals: Heliotropium(Heliotrops),Cynoglossum(Hounds tongue),Myosotis(Forget-me-nots),Borago(Borage),Pulmonara(Lungwort)
Ehretia Levis : wood useful. अजान वृक्ष
Ehretia aspera : common in Western ghats.
Heliotropium indicum (Indian turnsole) and
Trichodesma indicum (Indian borage) are most familiar herbs.
Cordia sebestena : Common ornamental garden tree.
Cordia dichotoma : Bhokar (भोकर)

BRASSICACEAE

2008-03-22T10:44:00.000+05:30

Brassicaceae(Crusiferae) Mustard family
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs (Rarely under shrubs) with watery sap,(pungent juice)containing glucosinolates (mustard oils) and with myoresin cells.Hairs simple branches stellate or peltate.
Vegetative characters :
Leaves : alternate or in basal rosettes,radical or cauline,simple often dissected, rarely pinnately compound sometimes bearing bulbils in axils or leaf surface. Stipules absent.
Inflorescence : Typically racemose, corumbose raceme or flat topped corymb.
Flowers : ebracteate, rarely bracteate.bisexual actinomorphic rarely zygomorphic hypogynous.
Calyx : with 4 sepals free in two whorls.Sepals of lateral pair sometimes saccate at base green or petalloid.
Corolla : 4 petals cruciform, clawed.
Androecium : stamens 6 free tetradinamous(2 short 4 long) dehiscence longitudinal.Nectaries often at base of stamens, pollen grains tricolpate.
Gynoecium : Two united carpels (thus single pistil) syncarpous unilocular.Ovary superior.Gynophore distinct.Style 1 stigmas 2.
Fruit : Siliqua or silicula
Pollination : by insects and dispersal of seeds by wind.
Examples:
Family contributes to many food plants
Radish (Raphenous sativus)
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var : capitata)
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var : botrytis)
Brussels sprouts

Turnip

Brassiaca campestris : seeds yield mustard oil used for cooking

Brassica nigra : black variety seeds used as condiment.

Common ornamentals include: stock(Mathiola) candy tuft(Iberis amara) alyssum(Alyssum) wall flower(Erysimum) and street alyssum(Lobularia)

BOMBACACEAE

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Pseudobombax ellipticum

Adansonia digitata

Bombax ceiba

Ceiba pentandra

Chorisia speciosa

Bombacaceae family was earlier included in Malvaceae family.
Even today some consider it as a subfamily of Malvaceae.
Habit: Tall tree with trunks and spreading branches.
Leaves: alternate simple or palmately compound stipulate
Flowers:showy bisexual,regular,hypogynous.
Calyx:Sepals 5,united,valvate.
Corolla:Patals 5,free,imbricate.
Androecium:stamens 5 to many,distinct or monadelphous,staminodes often,anthers 1-,2 or more celled.Pollen grains smooth.
Gynoecium:Carpels 2-5.Ovary superior.2-5 locular,placentation axile.
Fruit:capsule with a wooly or pithy pericarp.
Examples:
Bombax ceiba:Red silk cotton tree.
Ceiba pentandra, Kapok:White silk cotton tree.
Chorisia speciosa.Delhi Sawar
Adansonia digitata:Baobab tree
Pseudobombax ellipticum: Shaving brush tree

BIGNONIACEAE

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BIGNONIACEAE (Trumpet Creeper Family)
Mostly tropical.Around 40 species in India mostly in western and southern India and some in Himalayas.
Vegetative characters:
Plant type trees,shrubs,woody climbers with tendrils or roots
Stem in climbers:abnormal secondary growth.
The Leaves :Opposite..rarely whorled or alternate
More frequently pinnately compound terminal leaflet often modified to tendril.
Stipules absent.
Flowers and Inflorescence:
Inflorescence:Dichasial cyme.
Bracts and bracteoles present.
Flowers :Showy,perfect,hermaphrodite,zygomorphic and hypogynous.
Calyx: gamosepalous,Campanulate.
Corolla :Gamopetalous,Bell or funnel shaped. % subequal lobes or bilabiate-Upper lip 2lobes;Lower lip 3lobes.
Stamens : 4 didynamous 5th reduced to staminode.Epipetalous.
Gynoecium :Bicarpellary and syncarpous with a superior ovarywhich is bilocular.
Style terminal,simple,and stigma is two lipped.
Nectar disc :cushion like or annular at the base of the ovary.
Fruit : Two valved:loculicidal or septicidal capsule fleshy and indehiscent in Kigelia.
Seeds : Compressed discoid.
Pollination :Showy flowers nectar:-insect pollination.
Seed dispersal :Seeds mostly winged:-Wind dispersal.
Examples.
Spathodia campanulata.
Jacaranda mimosaefolia
Kigellia pinnata
Heterophragma
Tabebuia
Tecoma
Pyrostegia
Campsis
Radermachera xylocarpa.

ASTERACEAE

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Chromolaena odorata [Eupatorium odoratum].

Tridax

ASTERACEAE( COMPOSITAE)
One of the largest families.The number of species all over the world around 13000...form more than 10% of the total number of species of flowering plants.
Vegetative characters:Annual or perennial.Mostly herbs,a small proportion shrubby, few are trees or woody climbers.Few species produce stem tubers or rhizomes, many species have a milky sap.Roots and stems commonly contain oil passages.
Leaves : alternate,rarely opposite or whorled,simple or pinnately or palmately lobed divided or compound and exstipulate.
Flowers and Inflorescence:The primary Inflorescence is Racemose head or capitulum.Primary heads often arranged into large inflorescence such as raceme corymb or compound heads.Each head is subtended by an involucre of green or membranous bracts. The number of flowers (florets) in a head varies from few to many but sometimes as in Echinops the heads are reduced to a single flower.The shape of the receptacle may vary from flat,concave,convex conelike.
The flowers are mostly bisexual,sometimes unisexual or neutral. In some all florets are alike while in some the central florets are actinomorphic while parietal are zygomorphic.
Flowers are pentamerous and epigynous.
The Calyx is sometimes altogether absent or represented by scarious five lobed rim at the top of the ovary.Usually it is represented by the pappus or hairs or bristles.
The corolla is of five fused petals.It may be tubular or ligulate
The stamens are five.The filaments are free but anthers are connate into a tube around the style.The stamens are usually included in the corolla tube.
The gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is inferior and unilocular.The style is mostly bifid.
Fruits and seeds: The fruit is an achene often compressed and crowned by pappus of hairs plumes barbs or scales sometimes.The seeds are nonendospermic and with straight embryo.
Small flowers are attractive due to formation of heads and due to ray florets.Nectar is secreted by disc and collects in corolla tube. All of these favours insect pollination. Seeds are adapted for wind dispersal. Some fruits have hooks for animal distribution.
Examples:
The family provides some food,dye and oil yielding and medicinal plants,besides a large number of ornamental garden plants.
Lactuca sativa : cultivated as a salad crop.
Helianthus annus(Sunflower)सूर्यफुल
Carthamus tinctorius(Safflower) Important oil seed crop
Helianthus tuberosus: and Cyanara scoliamus :The roots are used as food
Tagetes minuta (Stinking Roger) and T.patula (French Marigold)Yield a strong aromatic essential oil.used as an antiseptic.
Tanacteum vulgare :(Tansy) essential oil used in rheumatism gout and in chronic ulcers
Taraxacum officinale:(Common Dandalion) drug Taraxacum from tuber useful as laxative and hepatic stimulant.
Spilanthus paniculata: flower heads are chewed to relieve toothache.
Calendula officinalis: The dried ligulate florets form the drug calendula used in sprains and bruises.
Chrysanthemum : A few species yield insecticide Pyrethrum.
The pollen of Ambrosia artemisifolia and Parthenium hysterophorus cause hay fever and skin allergies respectively.
Ornamentals:
Helianthus
Tagetus(Marigold) T.erecta(African marigold) T. patula (French Marigold)
Dahlia Chrysanthemum Cosmos Zinnia Coreopsis Aster Gaillardia Dimorphotheca
Calendula(Pot Marigold)
Centaurea (Sweet sultan)