Download Liliaceae - Missouri State University

Liliaceae
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mostly Perennial Herbs from Starchy Rhizomes, Corms or Bulbs
Comprising about 280 Genera and 4,000 to 5,000 Species
Monocot
Leaves Are Alternate or Less Often Opposite or Whorled
Tend to Have Narrow (Sword-Shaped), Parallel-Veined, Fibrous Leaves
Flowers Are Often Showy and Are Nearly Always Bisexual, On Leafless Stalks
Liliaceae flowers have:
– Parts in 3’s: 3 Sepals and 3 Petals that Look Alike
– 6 Stamens
– Single Pistil with a Superior Ovary (Usually) of 3 Fused Carpels
The Fruit Is Nearly Always a Capsule or Berry
Many Members of the Liliaceae Are Edible (Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Asparagus),
but Others Are Highly Poisonous (Lily-of-Valley)
Many Are Prized Ornamentals (Lilies, Tulips, Daylilies, Hyacinths, Hostas)
Amaryllidaceae
• Differ from the Liliaceae in Having an Inferior Ovary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Growing from Underground Bulb or in a Few Cases a Rhizome
Also a Monocot
Leafless Flower Stalk
Narrow Basal, Odorless Leaves, Alternate Pattern, Parallel-Veined,
Lanceolate or Linear, Sharp Pointed and with Teeth along Edges
Flowers
– Bisexual
– 3 Petals and 3 Petal-Like Sepals Joining to Form a Tube
– Arranged in Terminal Umbel with Papery Bracts at Base
– Many Species Have Only a Single Flower on Each Stalk
– Daffodils, which Are Cultivated, also Have a Corona, which Is an Extension
of the Perianth that Forms a Cup
Fruit Is Capsule or Berry
60 to 90 Genera and 1,000 Species
Warm-Season Plants
– Found Mainly in South Africa
– Some also Grow in South America and in the Mediterranean
Most Species Are Deciduous, but Clivia Is Evergreen and Succulent
Many Poisonous—including Clivia, Amaryllis belladonna, Galanthus
(Snowdrop) and Narcissus (Bulbs and Leaves Cause Severe Vomiting and
Diarrhea, Sap Can Cause Dermatitis)
Iridaceae
• The Iridaceae Are Perennial Herbs from Rhizomes, Bulbs or Corms Comprising
about 80 Genera and 1,500 to 1,750 Species
• Adventitious Roots
• Linear, ‘Monocot-Like‘, Sword-Shaped Leaves with Parallel Venation
• Leaves Often Overlap Each Other Transversely at the Base—This Feature Is
•
•
Unique to This Family
Flowers
– Bisexual, Usually Showy
– Inferior Ovary of 3 Fused Carpels
– 3 Petals and 3 Petal-Like Sepals, only 3 Stamens (which is a Unique
Feature) and Showy, Petaloid Stigmas and a Single Pistil
Iris Fruit Is a Loculicidal Capsule (3-Chambered Pod) with Seeds
• Distribution
–
•
Worldwide, But with a Great Diversity in Africa, Particularly in South
Africa
– The Winter Rainfall Area of South Africa Boasts the Largest Number of the
World's Iris Genera: of All the Genera Worldwide, 46 Occur Naturally in
South Africa
Economic Uses
– Family Is Source of the Most Expensive of Spices; Saffron, which Comes
from the Anthers of One Species, Crocus sativus
– Contains Ornamentals Crocus, Gladiolus, Iris
– The Root of Some Species Is Used in the Making of Perfume and Cosmetics
and Is Called ‘Orris Root'
– Corms of Several Species of Gladiolus Are Eaten Locally...Corms Were an
Important Source of Food for Humans in Prehistoric Time
Cannaceae
• One Genus and 55 Species
• Tropical Herbs Growing from Rhizomes, with Erect Stems Growing to 3
Meters (10 Feet) Tall
• Alternate, Banana-Like, Entire Leaves with Sheathing Petioles
• Distribution
•
•
•
•
– Subtropical Regions of North and Central America and in the West Indies
Flowers in Terminal, Perfect Inflorescences
Fruit a Capsule with Persistent Sepals
Fruit Non-Fleshy, Dehiscent, a Capsule (Usually Warty)
Economic Uses
– As Ornamentals and as the Source of Arrow Root Starch, Grown
Commercially in Asia, Australia and the Pacific Regions and Preferred for
Its Easy Digestibility
– The Plant Is also Used Medicinally in Some Regions