Characters of Fabaceae
• They are trees, shrubs, and herbs with nodules on their roots.
• Erect or climber stems • Leaves are alternating, pinnately compound or simple, and pulvinate at the base; venation is reticulate
Inflorescence: racemose
Flower: bisexual, zygomorphic
Calyx: sepals five, gamosepalous; valvate/imbricate aestivation
Corolla: petals five, polypetalous, papilionaceous, consisting of a posterior standard, two lateral wings, two anterior ones forming a keel (enclosing stamens and pistil), vexillary aestivation
Androecium: stamens ten in number, diadelphous, anther dithecous
Gynoecium: ovary superior, monocarpellary, unilocular with many ovules, style single
Fruit: legume; seed: one to many, non-endospermic
Economic importance:
Plants of these families are pulses used as fodder and sweet pea.
Ex: Peas, trifolium, Floral diagram:
Characters of Solanaceae
- The Solanaceae family, also known as the potato family, consists primarily of herbs, shrubs, and small trees.
- Stems are herbaceous, rarely woody, and aerial; they are erect, cylindrical, branching, solid or hollow, hairy or glabrous, and underground in potatoes.
- Leaves are exstipulate with reticulate venation, alternating, simple, rarely pinnately compound.
Floral Characters
Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solanum
Flower: bisexual, actinomorphic
Calyx: sepals five, united, persistent, valvate aestivation
Corolla: petals five, united; valvate aestivation
Androecium: stamens five, epipetalous
Gynoecium: bicarpellary obligately placed, syncarpous; ovary superior, bilocular, placenta is swollen with many ovules, axile
Fruits: berry or capsule
Seeds: many, endosperms
Economic importance
Plants belonging to this family are used as food, spices, medicines and ornamentals Floral diagram:
Ex: Brinjal, chilli, ashwagandha, petunia