10/21/98

Habit: mostly succulents, shrubs or trees

Leaves: mostly absent, when present alternate, deciduous, estipulate

Axillary buds modified as areoles--pad-like structures with spines.

Plants: synoecious (rarely dioecious)

Inflorescence: solitary, emerging from areoles or bursting through the epidermis

Flowers: perfect (rarely imperfect), actinomorphic (rarely zygomorphic)

Perianth: many spirally arranged tepals, the outer sepaloid, the inner petaloid, appearing as sepals and petals.

Androecium: stamens many, distinct, basally adnate to the tepals

Gynoecium: ovary inferior, sunken into the stem, 2-many carpels, 1 locule with 1-many parietal ovules, these often blanketing the inner surface of the ovary, style 1, stigmas 1-many

Fruit: berry, capsule, spiny burr

Succulent stems with areoles and spines.

Many perianth parts

Inferior ovary with many parietal ovules

Ornamentals: many species and genera

Edible fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica

Dye from insects that feed on the fruits of Opuntia

Habit: Herbs and shrubs, sometimes succulent

Leaves: Alternate (sometimes opposite), simple, estipulate, often with mealy pubescence

Plants: Synoecious, monoecious, dioecious, or polygamous.

Inflorescence: Solitary or clustered flowers, the latter often clustered into secondary inflorescences of racemes, panicles, or spikes

Flowers: commonly imperfect, actinomorphic, pistillate flowers osometimes enclosed by paired bracts

Sepals: 3-5 (1-2) (0), distinct or connate

Petals: absent

Androecium: stamens 1-5, distinct

Gynoecium: ovary superior (inferior) with 1 locule and 1 basal ovule; carpels 2(3), connate; styles 2 (3).

Fruit: achene or utricle--an achene with a bladder-like pericarp, embryo spirally coiled

Small ugly plants

Petals absent, perianth green, flowers inconspicuous

Mealy pubescence on the leaves

Utricles

Found on saline soils

Beets, swiss chard, sugar beet from Beta vulgaris

Spinach from Spinacea oleracea

Quinoa from Chenopodium quinoa

Chenopodium ambrosioides as condiment in Mexican food

Atriplex (saltbush) as ornamentals or to attract wildlife

Terrible weeds including tumbleweeds

Habit: Herbs (rarely shrubs)

Leaves: stems with swollen nodes, leaves opposite (rarely alternate), simple, entire, with or without stipules

Plants: Synoecious (dioecious)

Flowers: perfect or imperfect, usually actinomorphic

Sepals: 5(4), connate or distinct

Petals: 5(4) or absent

Androecium: stamens usually 10, sometimes as few as 3, distinct

Gynoecium: ovary superior with 1 locule, placentation free-central or basal (rarely axile with 2-5 locules), ovules 1-many, styles 2-5

Fruits: capsule (rarely an achene)

Herbs with swollen nodes, opposite leaves

Flowers actinomorphic, perfect

Petals notched or "pinked"
Free central or basal placentation

Denticidal capsules

Ornamentals:

Carnations

Baby’s Breath

Campion

Catchfly

Rock garden plants

Perfumes

Weeds such as chickweed, spurry, mouse-ear chickweed, etc.

Habit: Herbs or shrubs (rarely woody vines or trees)

Leaves: Alternate, opposite, whorled, or all basal, stipulate or estipulate, stipules forming ochrea--connate stipules forming a membranous sheath around the stem

Plants: Synoecious (rarely monoecious or dioecious), perfect or imperfect, actinomorphic

Sepals: 2-5 in one series or 6(4) in two series of 3(2), distinct or connate, often petaloid

Petals: absent

Androecium: Stamens 3-9, distinct, free or adnate to sepals

Gynoecium: Ovary superior, 1 locule, 1 basal ovule, carpels connate, 2-3 (4)

Fruits: lenticular or triangular achene or small nut

Ochreae

Flowers often small, inconspicuous

Perianth of two whorls of three tepals

Locule 1, ovule 1, basal

Achene fruits

Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum)

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Ornamentals (Antigonon, Eriogonum, Polygonum)

Weeds--Rumex