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Monocotyledons: Part I
For Introduction
Read page 405
Page references =
Diggs et al. 2006
(Flora E.Tx. Vol.1)
Phylogeny of Monocots:
ANITA clades
Magnoliids
(Magnoliopsida)
Monocots
(Liliopsida)
Eudicots
(Rosopsida)
Order Liliales: Smilacaceae : (P. 1118)
Floral features:
 Plants dioecious.
 Pistilate: CA3 CO3 A0 G 3
 Staminate: CA3 CO3 A6 G 0
 Umbel Inflorescence .
 Berry fruit.
Smilacaeae
Vegetative features:
 Woody vines,
 Stems with tendrils & prickles,
 Leaves alternate, simple.
 Leaf venation +/- palmate with higherorder veins netted.
 Plants grow from thick rhizomes.
Other features:
 4 genera, 375 sp. Worldwide.
 Locally: Smilax -common Pineywoods
forest vines.
 Related families: Trilliaceae, Liliaceae
(in restricted sense).
Native
Smilacaceae:
Smilax bona-nox
Smilax laurifolia
Smilax pumila
Native Smilacaceae
Smilax rotundifolia
Smilax rotundifolia
Native
Smilacaceae
Smilax smallii
Liliaceae (sensu strictu, p. 726)
Floral features:
 CA3 CO3 A6 G 3
 Flowers showy, actinomorphic.
 Superior ovary.
 3 sepals usually resemble the 3
petals “tepals”.
 Gynoecium of 3 fused carpels
matures into a capsule or berry.
 Inflorescence solitary or in
umbels.
Liliaceae
 Vegetative features:
 Alternate, whorled, or basal
leaves.
 Leaves simple, parallel
veined, sheathing.
 Often grow from bulbs,
corms, or rhizomes.
Order Liliales: Liliaceae
Other Features:
 11 genera, 550 species. Worldwide.
 Locally: Erythronium; Lilium.
 Ornamentals: Lilium (lily), Tulipa (tulip).
 Related families: Triliaceae, Smilacaeae.
 “Liliaceae” sensu latu: polyphyletic; spans 4 orders!
 See P. 728-729 of Diggs et al. 2006.
 Included Aletris, Allium, Asparagus, Camassia,
Erythronium, Habranthus, Narcissus, Nothoscordum,
Polygonatum, Trillium, and more!
 Useful key to families of traditional Liliaceae: P. 729.
Native Liliaceae:
Erythronium albidum
Erythronium rostratum
Native Liliaceae:
Lilium michauxii
Order Asparagales, Amaryllidaceae:
(P. 443-444)
Floral features:
 CA3 CO3 A6 G 3
 Inferior ovary; 3 conate carpels.
 Showy, actinomorphic flowers; 3 sepals
resemble the 3 petals “tepals”.
 Additional crown or corona sometimes
present (derived from hypanthium).
 Inflorescence an umbel or umbel-like
cyme
 Gynoecium of 3 fused carpels.
Amaryllidaceae
Vegetative features:
 Alternate, whorled, or basal,
leaves.
 Leaves simple, entire,
parallel veined, sheathing.
 Plants usually grow from
bulbs, etc.

Amaryllidaceae
Other features:
 59 genera, 850 spp. Widely distributed.
 Traditionally part of a polyphyletic
Liliaceae (sensu latu).
 Locally: Hymenocaulis, Habranthus,
Cooperia.
 Many ornamentals: Narcissus,
Amaryllis, etc.
 Recent (APG III) trend: lump related
Alliaceae (sensu APG II; Flora E.TX)
into Amarylidaceae.

Native Amaryllidaceae:
Habranthus tubispathus
Native Amaryllidaceae:
Hymenocaulis lyriosome
Cooperia drummondii
Amaryllidaceae
Narcissus jonquilla
Former Alliaceae (Onion family)
(Now Lumped to Amaryllidaceae)
Nothoscordum bivalve
Order Asparagales, Family Orchidaceae
(p. 752)
Floral features:
 CAZ3 COZ2+1 A1-2 G 3
 Zygomorphic corolla: 2 lateral
petals & a lip petal (Labellum).
 Style & stamens joined into a
column.
 Pollen packaged in sacs called
pollinia.
 Unusual or specialized
relationships with insect pollinators
common.
 Fruit a caspule: many extremely
small seeds; mycorhizal
relationship critical for germination.
 Inflorescence usually solitary,
raceme, spike, or panicle.
Orchidaceae
Flower Features
labellum
Sepal
Lateral petal
Column
Sepal
Calopogon tuberosus
Orchidaceae
Vegetative features
 parallel venation (most).
 Leaves alternate or basal,
sheathing.
 Temperate species mostly
ground-rooted herbs;
 Tropical species often epiphytes.
 Tropical forest canopy: highest
orchid diversity
Orchidaceae:
Other Features
 800 genera, at least 22,000 species.
 Mostly tropical, many rainforest
epiphytes.
 Many species may not yet be
described (as many as 35,000?)
 Largest plant family (most species) but not
as widespread as Asteraceae, many rare
species.
 Locally: Plantanthera, Spiranthes,
Cypripedium. Calopogon, Tipularia,
others.
 Popular ornamentals.
Native Orchidaceae
Cyprepedium kentuckiense
Native
Orchidaceae:
Spiranthes sp.
Native Orchidaceae
Hexalectris spicata
Native
Orchidaceae:
Plantanthera cilliaris
Native Orchidaceae
Habenaria repens
Native Orchidaceae
Calopogon tuberosus
Other Monocots: Asparagaceae
Yucca louisianensis
Other Monocots: Iridaceae
Iris hexagona
Other Monocots: Iridiceae
Sisyrinchium sp.
Other monocots: Iridaceae
Alophia drummondii
The End
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