Mn Flora Families

Front 1

Droseraceae (sundew family)

Back 1

Herbaceous insectivorous plants (in Drosera, leaves are covered with mucilage-secreting hairs that form sticky-traps).
Leaves alternate/ simple/ stipules present or absent/ blades coiled (“circinate”).
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ slightly connate.
Petals: 5/ distinct.
Stamens: usually 5/ distinct or slightly connate.
Carpels: usually 3/ connate/ ovary superior/ basal or parietal placentation.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: capsule.
Other: usually on low-nutrient acidic soils

Front 2

Ericaceae (heath family)

Back 2

Woody plants and mycoparasitic herbs.
Leaves often persistent/ usually alternate/ simple/ stipules absent/ blade margin sometimes revolute.
Flowers: usually bisexual/ usually radial symmetry/ usually pendulous.
Sepals: 4-5/ distinct or connate.
Petals: 4-5/ connate/ corolla often urn-shaped or funnelform.
Stamens: 8-10/ distinct or connate/ free or adnate to corolla/ anthers usually opening by apical pores and often with appendages.
Carpels: 2-10/ connate/ ovary usually superior (inferior in Gaylussacia and Vaccinium)/ axile or intruded parietal placentation.
Nectary present, as nectiferous tissue around ovary.
Fruit: capsule, berry, or drupe.
Other: usually on acidic soils/ style often depressed into ovary apex.

Front 3

Sarraceniaceae (pitcher plant family)

Back 3

Herbaceous insectiverous plants.
Leaves: in basal rosettes/ modified into pitchers (usually with a wing on one side and a flattened hood at the apex, the inner surface often has downward-pointing glandular hairs)/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ distinct/ often petaloid in color or shape.
Petals: 5/ distinct.
Stamens: numerous/ distinct.
Carpels: 3-5/ connate/ stigmas minute (in Sarracenia the stigmas are under the tip of each style lobe)/ style expanded and umbrella-shaped (“peltate”) in Sarracenia/ ovary superior/ axile or intruded placentation.
Nectary present, on leaf margin near apex (pitcher opening).
Fruit: capsule.
Other: on acidic soils.

Front 4

Saxifragaceae (saxifrage family)

Back 4

Herbaceous plants.
Leaves usually alternate, sometimes in basal rosettes/ simple or compound/ stipules absent or represented by expanded petiole base.
Flowers: bisexual (plants then usually monoecious)/ usually radial symmetry.
Sepals: 4-5/ distinct or connate.
Petals: usually 4-5/ distinct/ often with lower portion abruptly narrowed (“clawed”).
Stamens: 5-10/ distinct.
Carpels: usually 2/ usually connate/ ovary superior to inferior/ axile or parietal placentation.
Nectary present, as disk around base of ovary.
Fruit: capsule or follicle.
Other: floral cup sometimes present.

Front 5

Betulaceae (birch family)

Back 5

Woody plants.
Leaves alternate/ simple/ stipules present/ blade margin doubly-serrate.
Flowers: unisexual (plants monoecious)/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: usually 1-4/ distinct/ highly reduced in size.
Stamens: usually 4/ distinct or basally connate.
Carpels: usually 2/ connate/ ovary inferior, axile placentation/ ovules usually 4 but only 1 survives.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: achene, nut, or 2-winged samara.
Other: inflorescences are spike-like catkins (carpellate usually erect/ staminate usually pendulous/ ovary is undeveloped at pollination thus requiring a long period before fertilization can occur/ nitrogen-fixation occurs in Alnus.

Front 6

Lamiaceae (mint family)

Back 6

Mostly herbaceous plants, with square stems.
Leaves opposite or occasionally whorled/ usually simple/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ connate.
Petals: 5/ connate/ corolla usually bilabiate.
Stamens: 2-4 (when 4 usually 2 long/2 short –“didynamous”)/ distinct/ adnate to corolla.
Carpels: 2/ connate/ style gynobasic/ ovary superior, often deeply 4-lobed/ axile placentation/ ovules 1 per lobe.
Nectary present, as disk around ovary.
Fruit: usually schizocarp splitting into 4 nutlets.
Other: plants produce essential oils (visible as translucent dots throughout plant).

Front 7

Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)

Back 7

Herbaceous plants and vines.
Leaves alternate/ simple to sometimes compound/ stipules usually absent.
Flowers: usually bisexual (unisexual in Thalictrum and plants dioecious)/ usually radial symmetry.
Sepals: 4-numerous/ distinct.
Petals: 4-numerous or absent/ distinct.
Stamens: numerous/ distinct.
Carpels: 5-numerous/ usually distinct/ ovary superior/ parietal placentation.
Nectary often present, usually on basal portion of petals.
Fruit: usually follicles or achenes (berry in Actea).

Front 8

Rosaceae (rose family)

Back 8

Herbaceous or woody plants.
Leaves alternate/ simple or compound/ stipules usually present/ blade margin often with gland-tipped teeth.
Flowers: usually bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ distinct/ 5 epicalyx bracts also usually present.
Petals: 5/ distinct.
Stamens: usually numerous/ distinct/ sometimes adnate to nectary.
Carpels: 1-numerous/ distinct or connate/ ovary superior or inferior/ placentation axile (when carpels connate) or basal or apical.
Nectary present, as ring inside base of hypanthium.
Fruit: follicle, achene (sometimes enclosed within expanded or fleshy hypanthium as in Rosa), pome, drupe, aggregate.
Other: floral cup present in flowers with superior ovaries.
There are three major subgroups within the family –
Rosoideae (e.g. Geum, Rosa) have numerous carpels and fruits are achenes or druplets/
Amygdaloideae (e.g. Prunus) usually have 1 carpel and drupes for fruit/ Maloideae (e.g. Amelanchier, Crataegus, Malus) have 2-5 carpels that are inferior (adnate to hypanthium) and pomes for fruit/
– and a couple of smaller subgroups.

Front 9

Ruscaceae (butcher’s broom family)

Back 9

Herbaceous plants (in our flora).
Leaves usually alternate or in basal rosettes/ simple/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: 6/ distinct or basally connate/ petaloid.
Stamens: 6/ distinct/ adnate to perianth.
Carpels: 3/ connate/ ovary superior/ axile placentation.
Nectary present, in ovary sutures (“septa”).
Fruit: usually berry.
Other: rhizomatous plants.

Front 10

Asteraceae (aster, daisy, or composite family)

Back 10

Herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees.
Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled/ usually simple but sometimes highly dissected/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual or unisexual (plants then usually dioecious), sometimes sterile/ radial or bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: 0-numerous/ distinct/ highly modified as scales, awns, bristles, etc. (“pappus”).
Petals: 5/ corolla tubular (in disk flowers), bilabiate or strap-shaped (in ray and ligulate flowers).
Stamens: 5/ anthers connate, often with appendages/ filaments adnate to corolla.
Carpels: 2/ connate/ stigmas in distinctive patterns/ ovary inferior/ 1-celled/ basal placentation/ ovule 1.
Nectary usually present, at apex of ovary.
Fruit: achene/ pappus often persistent.
Other: flowers densely aggregated into “heads”, with a common receptacle and surrounded by cluster (“involucre”) of bracts (“phyllaries”)/ heads can be composed of all disk flowers (“discoid”), all ligulate flowers (“ligulate”), or disk and ray flowers (“radiate” –ray flowers usually sterile).
Other interesting notes: connate anthers forming a ring around the style/stigma often leads to self-pollination/ filaments of many species contract abruptly to force pollen onto pollinator/ ray flowers attract pollinators.

Front 11

Fabaceae (bean, pea, or legume family)

Back 11

Herbaceous plants, shrubs, trees, and vines.
Leaves alternate/ compound/ stipules present.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial to bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: usually 5/ usually connate.
Petals: usually 5/ distinct or 2 connate/ sometimes corolla with banner (1 large upper petal), wings (2 side petals), and keel (2 lower connate or coherent petals).
Stamens: usually 10 (but can be 1-numerous)/ distinct or connate (when connate then all 10 connate (“monadelphous”) or 9 connate and 1 distinct (“diadelphous”).
Carpels: 1/ ovary superior/ parietal placentation.
Nectary usually present, on inner surface of hypanthium or as disk around ovary.
Fruit: usually legume.
Other: very short floral cup present/ ovary sometimes on short stalk (“gynophore”)/ nitrogen-fixation often occurs/ leaves often show sleep-movements.
The family is divided into 3 subfamilies:
Faboideae – herbaceous or woody/ trifoliolate to pinnately compound leaves/ flowers usually with bilateral symmetry (banner, wings, keel) and 10 stamens (monodelphous or diadelphous)/
Caesalpinoiodeae – frequently woody/ usually pinnately or twice-pinnately compound leaves/ flowers usually with bilateral symmetry (uppermost petal interior to others) and usually 10 stamens/
Mimosoideae – frequently woody/ usually twice-pinnately compound leaves/ flowers with radial symmetry and 10-numerous, exerted and showy stamens.

Front 12

Poaceae (grass family)

Back 12

Herbaceous plants (trees in bamboos).
Leaves alternate & 2-ranked/ simple/ consist of sheath (encircles stem), ligule (membranous flap or fringe of hairs at junction of sheath and blade), and linear blade.
Flowers: bisexual or unisexual (plants then monoecious or dioecious).
Tepals (“lodicules”): usually 2/ distinct/ very reduced and usually translucent membranous flaps or scales.
Stamens: usually 3 (numerous in bamboos)/ distinct.
Carpels: 2/ connate/ stigma usually only 2 & plumose/ style absent/ ovary superior/ 1-celled/ usually basal placentation/ ovule 1.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: caryopsis.
Other: stems contain distinctive silica bodies/ inflorescences are “spikelets” arranged in spikes, racemes, or panicles/ spikelet composed of usually 2 overlapping, basal bracts (“glumes”) and 1-numerous “florets”/ florets composed of 2 overlapping bracts (outer=”lemma”, inner=”palea”) subtending a flower/ sterile or reduced flowers sometimes present/ apex of floral bracts (glumes, lemmas) may be extended as distinctive awns
The family is divided into 4 major subfamilies:
Bambusoideae – mostly tropical, woody plants/ flowering synchronized worldwide and in cycles of ~100 years/
Chloridoideae – mostly arid regions/ C4 photosyntheis common/
Panicoideae – primarily tropical but several genera in temperate grasslands/ peculiar floral morphology/
Pooideae – mostly temperate plants/ most of the cereal grains/
—and and a few minor subfamilies (e.g., Oryzoideae – rice and wild rice)

Front 13

Araceae (arum family)

Back 13

Herbaceous plants, vines, and epiphytes/ often aquatic.
Leaves alternate or in basal rosettes/ simple or compound/ stipules absent/ blade margin often basally sheathing the stem/ venation sometimes parallel.
Flowers: bisexual or unisexual (plants then monoecious)/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: 4-6 or absent/ distinct or connate/ inconspicuous, often somewhat fleshy.
Stamens: 1-6 (or more)/ distinct or connate (either filaments or anthers).
Carpels: 2-3/ connate/ ovary superior/ various placentation types.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: usually a berry.
Other: calcium oxalate crystals produced and sometimes cyanogenic or alkaloid compouns/ glandular hairs or scales present at the node inside leaf sheath/ inflorescences are fleshy spikes (“spadix”) surrounded by a usually colorful bract (“spathe”). In Lemna and Wolffia the stems and leaves are modified into a thalloid body.

Front 14

Cyperaceae (sedge family)

Back 14

Herbaceous plants.
Leaves alternate, 3-ranked, usually basal/ simple/ stipules absent but ligule sometimes present (as in Carex)/ blades linear/ bases usually sheathing.
Flowers: bisexual or unisexual (plants then usually monoecious)/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: absent or 3-6 scales or bristles.
Stamens: 1-3/ distinct.
Carpels: 2-3/ connate/ ovary superior/ basal placentation/ ovule 1.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: achene, often with persistent perianth bristles.
Other: usually rhizomatous/ inflorescences are complex arrangement of spikes and spikelets/ each flower subtended by bract/ in Carex the carpel/achene is surrounded by a persistent bract (“perigynium”).

Front 15

Potamogetonaceae (pondweed family)

Back 15

Herbaceous, perennial aquatic plants.
Leaves alternate or opposite/ simple/ stipules present/ sometimes heteromorphic with submerged and floating forms/ venation often just midrib.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: absent.
Stamens: 4/ distinct/ with fleshy appendages at base of anther.
Carpels: 4/ distinct/ ovary superior/ basal or apical placentation/ ovule 1.
Nectary absent.
Fruit: cluster of achenes.
Other: inflorescences are spikes or spike-like and usually elevated above water surface/ pollen grains have no functional aperture.

Front 16

Apiaceae (carrot family)

Back 16

Herbaceous plants, vines, shrubs, and trees/ often aromatic, with hollow internodes.
Leaves alternate/ usually compound/ stipules usually present/ petioles sheathing.
Flowers: usually bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ distinct/ reduced in size and inconspicuous.
Petals: 5/ distinct or occasionally connate/ inflexed over reproductive parts.
Stamens: 5/ distinct/.
Carpels: 2-5/ connate/ styles swollen basally and form a “stylopodium” with nectaries/ ovary inferior/ axile placentation/ ovule 1 in each cell.
Nectary present, adnate with styles forming a stylopodium.
Fruit: schizocarp or drupe/ each segment of schizocarp attached to a central stalk (“carpophore”).
Other: inflorescences are simple or compound umbels, often with involucre of bracts/ secretory canals present in fruit that contain ethereal oils and resins.

Front 17

Amaranthaceae (amaranth family)

Back 17

Herbaceous plants and shrubs/ sometimes succulent.
Leaves alternate or opposite/ simple, sometimes reduced and scale-like/ stipules absent.
Flowers: usually bisexual, or unisexual (plants then monoecious or dioecious)/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: usually 5 in 1 whorl/ distinct or slightly connate/ often reduced and papery.
Stamens: usually 5/ distinct (rarely connate), sometimes adnate to perianth/ opposite tepals.
Carpels: 2-3/ connate/ ovary superior, often compressed/ basal placentation, ovule 1.
Nectary often present, as disk around ovary or as glands.
Fruit: achene, utricle (rarely capsule).
Other: embryo curved or spirally twisted/ betalins present (instead of anthocyanins as in other plants)/ some have C4 photosynthesis/ pollen pores numerous and scattered over surface.

Front 18

Brassicaceae (mustard or caper family)

Back 18

Herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees.
Leaves usually alternate, sometimes in basal rosettes/ simple or compound/ stipules present or absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ usually radial symmetry.
Sepals: 4/ distinct.
Petals: 4/ distinct/ corolla usually cross-shaped (“cruciform”)/ petals clawed.
Stamens: usually 6/ distinct/ filaments 2 short and 4 long (“tetradynamous”).
Carpels: 2/ connate/ ovary superior, often with gynophore/ parietal placentation.
Nectary usually present, as disk around ovary or as gland.
Fruit: usually silique (berry in Capparis).
Other: placentas form thickened rim (“replum”) along the inner fruit wall, connected by a thin, non-vascularized partition (“septum”) bissecting the ovary/fruit/ fruit valves deciduous while replum and septum persistent/ often produce glucosinolates (mustard oils).

Front 19

Polygonaceae (knotweed family)

Back 19

Herbaceous plants, vines, shrubs, and trees, often with swollen nodes.
Leaves usually alternate/ simple/ stipules present and connate into a sheath surrounding the stem (“ocrea”).
Flowers: usually bisexual (if unisexual then plants dioecious)/ radial symmetry.
Tepals: 6/ distinct or slightly connate/ usually petaloid/ sometimes differentiated as calyx/corolla.
Stamens: 5-9/ distinct or slightly connate.
Carpels: 2-3/ connate/ ovary superior/ basal placentation/ ovule 1.
Nectary present, as disk around ovary or as 2 glands adjacent to filaments.
Fruit: achene (or nutlet)/ perianth persistent and enlarged, sometimes with appendages.
Other: often producing oxalic acid.

Front 20

Apocynaceae (milkweed family)

Back 20

Herbaceous plants, vines, and shrubs (some trees in tropics).
Leaves usually opposite, sometimes whorled/ simple/ stipules present but very reduced or absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ distinct or connate/ sometimes curved backward (“reflexed”).
Petals: 5/ connate/ sometimes reflexed, often with appendages (“corona”) on inside, or at apex, of corolla tube.
Stamens: 5/ sometimes connate/ adnate to corolla, sometimes also to styles (forming a “gynostegium”)/ often form a ring around or adnate or coherent to styles, sometimes appendages (“corona”) present and petal-like or hood- or horn-shaped.
Carpels: 2/ connate in stylar region, sometimes through stigmas/ style apex expanded and modified/ stigmas restricted to lateral edges of styles/ ovary superior/ parietal or axile placentation.
Nectary present, as glands or disk around ovary, or associated with stigmas or corona.
Fruit: usually paired follicles (sometimes 1 aborts), sometimes berry or drupe/ seeds often with tuft of hairs.
Other: sap usually milky and lactiferous/ cardiac glycosides and alkoloids often produced/ pollen often coherent in masses (“pollinia”).

Front 21

Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family)

Back 21

Vines, shrubs, and trees.
Leaves opposite (sometimes connate basally)/ simple/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ connate/ somewhat constricted.
Petals: 5/ connate/ corolla often bilabiate.
Stamens: 5/ distinct/ adnate to corolla.
Carpels: usually 3-5/ connate/ style very elongated/ ovary inferior/ axile placentation/ often several ovaries abort.
Nectary present, as dense glandular hairs on lower part of corolla tube, sometimes as spur on corolla.
Fruit: berry, or drupe.
Other: flowers often paired and connate at ovaries.
Other interesting notes: Sambucus and Viburnum, which have radial floral symmetry, short styles, and a nectary on the ovary, have been removed and placed in Adoxaceae. Linnaea, which has only 4 stamens, 1 ovule, and achenes for fruits, has been removed and placed in its own family.

Front 22

Onagraceae (evening-primrose family)

Back 22

Herbaceous plants and shrubs.
Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled/ simple/ stipules present, sometimes very reduced or absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ radial symmetry/ hypanthium/floral cup present as long tube.
Sepals: 4/ distinct.
Petals: 4/ distinct/ sometimes clawed.
Stamens: 8/ distinct.
Carpels: usually 4/ connate/ ovary inferior/ axile placentation.
Nectary present, near base of hypanthium.
Fruit: capsule, berry, or sometimes nutlet.
Other: pollen grains with viscid threads

Front 23

Orobanchaceae (broomrape family)

Back 23

Herbaceous hemiparasitic plants or holoparasitic.
Leaves alternate or opposite/ simple/ stipules absent.
Flowers: bisexual/ bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: 5/ connate.
Petals: 5/ connate/ corolla bilabiate.
Stamens: 4/ distinct/ adnate to corolla/ 2 long/2 short (“didynamous”)/ 5th sterile stamen (“staminode”) sometimes present.
Carpels: 2/ connate/ ovary superior/ axile or parietal (with lobed placentas) placentation.
Nectary present, as disk around base of ovary.
Fruit: capsule.
Other: holoparasitic plants often turn black in drying due to presence of orobanchin.

Front 24

Orchidaceae (orchid family)

Back 24

Terrestrial or epiphytic herbs, occasionally mycoparasitic/ stems often basally thickened (“pseudobulb”) in topical plants.
Leaves alternate or basal, sometimes reduced/ simple/ entire/ bases sheathing/ venation parallel/ stipules absent.
Flowers bisexual/ bilateral symmetry.
Sepals: 3/ distinct or connate/ often colored.
Petals: 3/ distinct/ the middle petal differentiated from others as a lip, the lateral petals often similar to sepals.
Stamens: 1-2/ adnate to style and stigma forming a “column”/ pollen massed (“pollinia”).
Carpels: 3/ connate/ style and stigma modified, portion of stigma nonreceptive (the “rostellum”) and forming sticking pad attached to pollinia/ ovary inferior/ parietal placentation.
Nectary present in lip spur, on sepal apices, or in ovary sutures (“septa”).
Fruit: capsule.
Other: root apex often covered by spongy, water-absorbing epidermis (“velamen”)/ flowers twist 180 degrees during development.