Taxonomic description of flowering plant
The morphological features are used to describe a plant.
The description has to be brief, scientific and presented in proper sequence.
The plant is described starting from its habit, vegetative characters (roots, stem, leaves) and then flower characters, inflorescence and floral characters.
After Description, floral formula and floral diagram are represented.
Floral Formula
It represent the organisation of different whorls of the flower, their number, cohesion and adhesion.
A series of symbols are used to represent floral formula.
Floral Diagram
A floral diagram is a representation of a flower which provides information about the number of parts in different whorls, their arrangement, relation with one another, cohesion and adhesion and position with respect to mother axis.
A dot on top of the floral diagram represents mother axis.
Calyx is the outermost whorl. Gynoecium is the innermost whorl.
Description of some important families
Fabaceae (Papilionaceae)
Habit: Herbs, shrubs, trees, climbers.
Root: Tap root, root nodules containing nitrogen fixing bacteria Rhizobium.
Stem: Herbaceous, woody, erect or climbing.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound. rarely simple, pulvinate leaf base, stipulate, reticulate venation.
Inflorescence: Raceme
Flower: Bisexual, zygomorphic, polypetalous, papilionaceous.
Calyx: Sepals 5, gamosepalous, imbricate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals 5, free, vexillary aestivation.
Androecium: Stamens 10, diadelphous - (9)+1, ditheous.
Gynoecium: Monocarpellary, unilocular, superior, marginal placentation.
Fruit: Legume or pod
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Pulses: Pea, bengal gram, black gram, green gram etc.
(ii) Fodder: Sesbania, Trifolium
(iii) Oils: Groundnut, soyabean
(iv) Dye: Indigofera
(v) Fibres: Hemp
(vi) Ornamental: Sweet Pea, Lupin
Solanaceae
Commonly called as Potato family. It has about 2000 species.
Habit: Herbs, Shrubs and rarely trees
Root: Tap root
Stem: Herbaceous, aerial, cylindrical, Pubescent, Underground stem as in Potato
Leaves: Alternate, simple, exstipulate, Unequal leaf base, Reticulate venation
Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary raceme or cymose
Flower: Bisexual, actinomorphic
Calyx: Sepals 5, gamosepalous, persistent, Valvate aestivation
Corolla: Petals 5, gamopetalous, Valvate aestivation
Androecium: Stamens 5 epipetalous,
Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary, Stigma capitate, axile placentation
Fruit: Berry or capsule
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Vegetables: Potato, brinjal, tomato
(ii) Spices: Chilli
(iii) Medicine: Ashwagandha, Datura, Belladona
(iv) Narcotic: Tobacco
(v) Ornamental: Petunia
Liliaceae
It is a monocotyledonous family with more than 4000 species.
Habit: Perennial herbs with underground rhizome, bulbs or climbers
Root: Fibrous, adventitious
Stem: Aerial or underground
Leaves: Simple, basal, alternate, linear, exstipulate, parallel venation
Inflorescence: Cymose
Flower: Bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicillate, trimerous.
Perianth: Tepals 6 (3+3), free, arranged in two whorls, valvate aestivation
Androecium: Stamens 6 (3+3),
Gynoecium: Tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary, axile placentation
Fruit: Capsule, rarely berry
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Ornamental: Lily, Gloriosa, Tulips.
(ii) Vegetables: Onion, Garlic
(iii) Medicinal: Asperagus, Aloe vera
(iv) Fibre yielding: Agave, Yucca.
A drug colchicine extracted from Colchicum autumnale used in cytology.
The morphological features are used to describe a plant.
The description has to be brief, scientific and presented in proper sequence.
The plant is described starting from its habit, vegetative characters (roots, stem, leaves) and then flower characters, inflorescence and floral characters.
After Description, floral formula and floral diagram are represented.
Floral Formula
It represent the organisation of different whorls of the flower, their number, cohesion and adhesion.
A series of symbols are used to represent floral formula.
| ♀️ - Female ♂ - Male ⚥ - Bisexual ⨁ - Actinomorphic ％ - Zygomorphic Br - Bracteate Ebr - Ebracteate Brl - Bracteolate |
K - Calyx C - Corolla P - Perianth A - Androecium G - Gynoecium G - Superior Ovary Ḡ- Inferior Ovary ( ) - Fused/Gamo ⌒ - Epipetalous/Epiphyllus |
Floral Diagram
A floral diagram is a representation of a flower which provides information about the number of parts in different whorls, their arrangement, relation with one another, cohesion and adhesion and position with respect to mother axis.
A dot on top of the floral diagram represents mother axis.
Calyx is the outermost whorl. Gynoecium is the innermost whorl.
Description of some important families
Fabaceae (Papilionaceae)
Habit: Herbs, shrubs, trees, climbers.
Root: Tap root, root nodules containing nitrogen fixing bacteria Rhizobium.
Stem: Herbaceous, woody, erect or climbing.
Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound. rarely simple, pulvinate leaf base, stipulate, reticulate venation.
Inflorescence: Raceme
Flower: Bisexual, zygomorphic, polypetalous, papilionaceous.
Calyx: Sepals 5, gamosepalous, imbricate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals 5, free, vexillary aestivation.
Androecium: Stamens 10, diadelphous - (9)+1, ditheous.
Gynoecium: Monocarpellary, unilocular, superior, marginal placentation.
Fruit: Legume or pod
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Pulses: Pea, bengal gram, black gram, green gram etc.
(ii) Fodder: Sesbania, Trifolium
(iii) Oils: Groundnut, soyabean
(iv) Dye: Indigofera
(v) Fibres: Hemp
(vi) Ornamental: Sweet Pea, Lupin
Solanaceae
Commonly called as Potato family. It has about 2000 species.
Habit: Herbs, Shrubs and rarely trees
Root: Tap root
Stem: Herbaceous, aerial, cylindrical, Pubescent, Underground stem as in Potato
Leaves: Alternate, simple, exstipulate, Unequal leaf base, Reticulate venation
Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary raceme or cymose
Flower: Bisexual, actinomorphic
Calyx: Sepals 5, gamosepalous, persistent, Valvate aestivation
Corolla: Petals 5, gamopetalous, Valvate aestivation
Androecium: Stamens 5 epipetalous,
Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary, Stigma capitate, axile placentation
Fruit: Berry or capsule
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Vegetables: Potato, brinjal, tomato
(ii) Spices: Chilli
(iii) Medicine: Ashwagandha, Datura, Belladona
(iv) Narcotic: Tobacco
(v) Ornamental: Petunia
Liliaceae
It is a monocotyledonous family with more than 4000 species.
Habit: Perennial herbs with underground rhizome, bulbs or climbers
Root: Fibrous, adventitious
Stem: Aerial or underground
Leaves: Simple, basal, alternate, linear, exstipulate, parallel venation
Inflorescence: Cymose
Flower: Bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicillate, trimerous.
Perianth: Tepals 6 (3+3), free, arranged in two whorls, valvate aestivation
Androecium: Stamens 6 (3+3),
Gynoecium: Tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary, axile placentation
Fruit: Capsule, rarely berry
Floral Formula and Floral Diagram
Economic importance
(i) Ornamental: Lily, Gloriosa, Tulips.
(ii) Vegetables: Onion, Garlic
(iii) Medicinal: Asperagus, Aloe vera
(iv) Fibre yielding: Agave, Yucca.
A drug colchicine extracted from Colchicum autumnale used in cytology.
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