Term
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Definition
~200 genera and over 2000 species and is pantropical in its distribution with a few in the
subtropics and warm-temperate latitudes.
Only about 10 genera are native to the US, with one in the southwest
Evergreen trees, shrubs, and lianas (woody vines)
Usually unbranched trunks – primary growth only – no true wood or bark, much of the bulk of the trunk is made up of overlapping leaf bases
Leaves peresistant, alternate, often very large, forming dense terminal rosettes, long-petiolate, with a broad to tubular sheath. Leaves are simple, but mechanically split into narrow segments at maturity – either pinnate or palmate
Flowers are small, fragrant, perfect or imperfect, regular, flower parts in 3s
Fruit a fleshy or fibrous drupe |
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Term
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Definition
| Huge family with 700 genera and 10,000 spp |
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Term
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Definition
(7 gen/165 spp) – 2 genera and 9 species native to N.Am.
woody trees or shrubs; may be evergreen or deciduous
ethereal (aromatic) oils – ‘primitive’ smell when leaves are crushed
simple leaves with pinnate venation and entire margin
large showy flowers
always bisexual
many parts, spirally arranged; borne on elongate receptacle
sepals and petals undifferentiated
laminar stamens poorly differentiated into anther and filament
ovary superior
fruit usually a follicle (often many aggregated together) or samara
follicle – dry, dehiscent, 1-carpellate fruit that dehisces on one side
samara – dry, indehiscent, 1-carpellate winged, fruit |
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Term
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Definition
(52 gen/2850 spp)
Trees or shrubs (occasionally vines, including the parasitic vine Cassytha)
Ethereal (aromatic) oils present (‘primitive’ smell)
Leaves simple (occasionally lobed), alternate and spiral, entire, pinnate venation.
Flowers bisexual or unisexual (then dioecious), actinomorphic, usually small; tepals usually 6; stamens 3-12 (in whorls of 3)
anthers opening by 2-4 flaps; one carpel with
single ovule; ovary superior
Fruit a drupe, or less often a one-seeded berry |
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Term
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Definition
6-7 spp., total - 3 native to N. America – one eastern species and two western species
Leaves palmately lobed, palmately veined, margins coarsely toothed
Petioles enlarged at base and enclose the axillary bud – subpetiolar buds
Stipules leaflike and and conspicuous – often encircling the stem and persistent
• Flowers imperfect – plants monoecious – arranged in globose heads – individual flws. minute.
Fruit an achene, surrounded at the base by ring of hairs (wind-dispersal) – arranged in globose head (multiple).
Bark: Thin, mottled brown, green, tan and white; older stems are gray-brown and scaly.
The most striking feature of this tree, often referred to as "camouflage" bark that readily exfoliates |
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