FEBACEAE (PAPILIONACEAE)

Pea family or pulses family

Class : Dicotyledonae
Sub Class : Polypetalae
Series : Calyciflorae
Order : Rosales
Family : Fabaceae

Important plants
1. Cajanus Cajan - Pigeon pea; Redgram’ Arhar
2. Cicer arietinum - Gram; Chana
3. Pbaseolus aureus - Green gram; mung
4. Pbaseolus mungo - Blackgram, urd
5. Glycine max - Soyabeen
6. Lens culinaris syn.Lens esculenta - Lentil; Masur
7. Dolicbous lablab - Bean; Sem
8. Canavalia gladiate - Jackbean
9. Cyamopsis tetragonoloba - Cluster bean, Gwar
10. Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
11. Trifolium alexandrium - Berseem
12. Vicia faba - Broad bean
13. Abrus precatorius - Guruvinda, Rati ( Crab’s eye)
14. Butea monosperma - Flame of the forest; Palas
15. Aracbis hypogea - Ground nut
16. Indigofera tinctoria - Indigo, Nil
17. Dalbergia sissoo - Rosewood; Shisham
18. Crotalaria juncea - Sunhemp
19. Latbyrus odoratus - sweet pea
20. Latbyrus sativus - wild pea
21. Pisum sativum - Green pea (or) Garden pea
22. Erythrina indica - - Indian coral tree
23. Clitoria ternata - Butterfly pea
24. Sesbania sesban - Avisalu, jayanti
25. Pongamia pinnata (Derris indica) - Kanuga, petro plant
26. Glycyrrhiza glabra - Liquorice; Muliathi
27. Desmodium gyrans - Indian telegraph plant
28. Pterocarpus santalinus - Redsanders
29. Tephrosia purpurea - Vempali
30. Trigonella foenum greacum - Fenugreek (Menthulu)
Distribution
It is a large family with 450 genera and 8500 species. The family was
previously considered as subfamily Papilionoidae (after papilonaceous
corolla) of family Leguminosae in Bentham and Hooker's classification. It is
cosmopoliton and is economically highly important as it yields pulses.
Habitat:
Mostly mesophytes, Ulex is a xerophyte
Habit :
Herbs, shrubs, trees, twiners (Dolichos), tendril climbers (Pisum and
Latbyrus). Life span ranges from annuals to perennials.
Vegetative characters
Root :
Taproot system. Nodules bears symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria of the genus
Rbizobium. Pulses are rich in proteins because of nitrogen fixing bacteria. The
plants are also grown as green manure and used in crop rotation.
Stem:
Aerial, erect, prostrate, twiners (Dolichos), tendril climbers (Pisum and
Latbyrus), woody (Dalbergia),
Leaf:
Cauline or ramal.Leaf base is pulvinous. Leaves are petiotate and
stipulate. Stipules are foliaceaous in Latbyrus and Pisum. Phyllotaxy is
alternate. Venation is reticulate. Leaves are usually pinnate compound and
imparipinnate (Pisum, Tephrosia). Palmate compound leaf (Trifoliate) in
Trifolium and Dolichos, simple leaf (Crotalaria).
Entire leaf modified to tendril in Latbyrzs. Upper leaflets modified to
tendril in Pisum. Leaf lets are reduced to spines in Ulex.
Floral characters
Inflorescence:
Racemose, rarely solitary (Lathyrus, Cicer) axillary.
Flower:
Bracteate occasionally bracteolate, pedicellate, complete, bisexual.
entacyclic, pentamerous, zygomorphic, dichlamydeous, heterochlamydeous,
perigynous flower (cup shaped thalamus).
Calyx : Five sepals, gamosepalous, odd sepal is anterior, aestivation is
valvate.
Corolla :
Five petals, polypetalous, papilionaceous, large posterior outermost
petal is named vexillum or standard. It overlaps two smaller lateral petals
called wings or alae which in turn overlap two anterior petals that are
partially fused to form a boat shaped keel or carina enclosing essential
organs. This is called vexillary or descendingly imbricate aestivation.
Androecium :
Ten stamens, diadelphous with nine forming an incomplete staminal
tube around the ovary while 10th posterior stamen is free. Dithecous,
introrse, dehiscence is longitudinal. Monadelphous in Crotalaria and Arachis.
Gynoecium :
Monocarpellary, unilocular half inferior ovary. (Superior is Crofalaria
due to the presence of stalk below the ovary). Many ovules are on ventral
sutures. Marginal placentation, styles long flattened, stigma simple or capitate.

Pollination:
Cross pollination is entomophilous usually protandrous, piston
mechanism. Self pollination in Pisum, Lathyrus.
Fruit :
Legume or pod, samara in Dalbergia and Pterocarpus (wings develop
from the fruitwall). In Arachis bypogea, flowers are produced above ground
and after fertilization, the peduncle elongates and becomes geotropic. Such
fruit is called geocarpic fruit.
Seed: Dicotyledonous, non endospermic
Floral formula:
Br, Brl or Ebrl , % K(5), C1+2(2), A(9)+1, G-1

Economic Importance
1 Common pulses used as food
Cicer arietinum (gram) Cajanus cajan (Pigeon pea) Phaseolus vulgaris
(kidney bean or french bean or Rajma) Phaseolus mungo (urd dal)
Pbaseolus radiatus (green gram or moong dal) Lens esculenta (Lentil or
masoor dal). Glycine max is rich in protein.

2 Oil yielding plants

Aracbis bypogea (ground nut) Glycine max (Soybean) Pongamia seeds
yield oil of medicinal value.

3 Timber yielding plants

Dalbergia Sissoo (Shisham wood), Dalbergia latifolia (Rose wood tree),
Pterocarpus santalinus (Red sanders). Butea monosperma (Palas, flame of
the forest) wood is used for cooking, lac insects are cultivated on the stem
of this tree. flowers yielding an orange red dye. Erythrina indica (Indian
coral wood tree) produces timber for second grade furniture.

4 Vegetables :
Pods of bean, soya bean, seeds of garden pea, groundnut. Leaves of
Fenugreek.
5 Miscellaneous uses
Abrus precatorius (Jewellers weight or Rattiplant) seeds used as weight by
jewellers for weighing gold ornaments. Crotalaria juncea (sunhemp) Fibres
obtained from phloem, are used in making roops. Indigofera tinctoria (Neel
or Indigo plant) plant extract yielding indigo dye.
Trifolium alexandrium (clover berseem plant) provides fodder for cattles.
Trigonella foenumgraecum (methi) seeds used as condiment (spice).
[

Medicines
1. Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice, muliathi) Liquorice drug is used in cough
syrups.
Ornamental plants
1. Clitoria ternata, lupin, sweet pea are ornamental plants.

ADDITIONAL READING MATERIAL

Family -Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) Mustard Family
Distinguishing Characters :
 Plants herbaceous
 Vegetative organs with pungent juice containing sulphur compound
 Inflorescence raceme or corymb
 Flowers bimerous or tetramerous
 Corolla four and cruciform
 Androecium tetradynamous
 Gynoecium bicarpellary syncarpous and ovary superior. Placentation parietal
 False septum or replum in mature fruit
 Fruit Siliqua or silicula.
Important Floral Characters :

Inflorescence : Typical raceme (Brassica), compound raceme (Raphamus) or

corymb (Iberis amara).
Flower : Bracteate or ebracteate, pedicellate, hermaphrodite, usually
actinomorphic (zygomorphic in Iberis amara), hypogynous and bior
tetramerous.

Calyx: 4 (2+2) in two whorls, polysepalous, imbricate.

Corolla: 4 , cruciform, polypetalous, valvate.

Androecium: 4+2 , tetradynamous (4 long stamens anterio-posterior and 2
short stamens lateral in position)

Gynoecium: Bicarpellary syncarpous, ovary superior unilocular but becoming

bilocular due to false septation (replum), ovules many, placentation parietal,
style short, stigma bilobed, fruits seliqua or silicula.

Floral Formula:
Plants of Economic Importance
Iberis amara-Candytuft-Ornamental plant. Brassica campestris (Sarson)-
Seeds used for mustard oil. Brassica nigra - Black sarson used in spices.
Brassica oleracea var. capitata - Cabbage-Vegetable plant, leaves edible.
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (Cauliflower) Inflorescence used in vegetable.
Brassica oleracea var. gongylods (Ganth-gobhi) Swollen nodes eaten.
Rapbanus sativus (Radish)-Roots used in vegetable and salad.
Brassica rapa (Turnip)-Fleshy roots eaten. Brassica juncea (Indian Rye)-Used
in spices. Cheriantbus cheiri (a medicinal plant)-Used for bronchial disorders.
Aso has ornamental value called wail flower.

FAMILY - MALVACEAE
(FAMILY OF SHOE FLOWER OR COTTON FAMILY)
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Distinguishing Characters :

 Flowers pentamerous and with epicalyx.

 Corolla with mucilage.
 Androecium with numerous stamens, stamens monoadelphous.
 Stamens monothecous, filaments forming long staminal tube.
 Gynoecium pentacarpellary, syncarpous, style long, stigma pentafid.
 Placentation axile.
 Fruit as loculicidal capsule.
Important Floral Characters Inflorescence
Solitary axillary or axillary cyme.
Flower: Bracteate (bract leafy), complete, pedicellate, hermaphrodite,
epicalyx present, (no epicalyx in Sida and Abutilon), actinomorphic and
hypogynous.
Epicalyx : 3, 5 or numerous, free, green smaller than calyx.
Calyx : 5, gamosepalous, valvate, tubular, larger in size.
Corolla : 5, polypetalous, petals large and showy, mucilaginous twisted or
imbricate aestivation.
Androecium: Stamens numerous, monoadelphous, filaments fuse to form
staminal tube, anthers reniform and monothecious staminal tube attached
with petals.
Gynoecium: Pentacarpellary, syncarpous, ovary superior, style long,
stigma pentafid and hairy. Placentation axile, fruit as loculicidal capsule.
Floral Formula

Floral Formula:
 Plants of Economic Importance :
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (China shoe-flower) omamental, under-tree.
Hibiscus cannabinus (Patsun) - a source of bast fibre. Gossypium arborum
(Cotton) seed surface fibres used as cotton.
G. berbaceum (Old World Cotton) : Seed surface fibres used.
G. birsutum (New World Cotton)-Seed surface fibres used.
G. barbedense (New World Cotton). Thespesis populina ( a tree) for
ornamental use. Abelmoschus esculentus (Lady's finger) used as vegetable.
Malua sylvestris - an ornamental plant. Althaea rosea (Hollyhock) - an
ornamental plant. Abutilon indica - a medicinal shrub. Sida cordifolia - a weed.
Malvastrum tricuspidatum - a weed. Unena lobataa fibre yielding weed plant.

FAMILY - POACEAE (GRAMINAE)

FAMILY OF CEREAL PLANTS
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS:
 Inflorescence as spike of spikelets.
 Flowers have 2 bracts called lemma and palea.
 Perianth is highly reduced represented by 2 lodicules.
 Flawers are bisexual except in maize where flower is unisexual and
inflorescence is also unisexual.
 Fruit is caryopsis (-a single seeded fruit where perioup is completely
fused with testa).
 Stem is usually hollow between the nodes.
 Glume develops from bract.
 Plants are always wind pollinated and thus stigma is feathery.
Important Floral Characters :
Inflorescence: Spike of spikelets (in maize, female inflorescence is
spadix, protected by leafy spath), compound spike in wheat, a pair of
sterile glume present at the base of spikelet.
Flower : Sessile, bracteate, bisexual, (unisexual in maize), zygomorphic
and hypogynous. Each floret has a lemma and palea.
Perianth: Highly reduced, 2 in number, pin head sized structure called
lodicules. In bamboos, 3 lodicules present.
 Androecium : Usually 3 but sometimes 6 (as in Orgza), filament long,
anthers versatile, dithecous, dehiscence longitudinal.

Gynoecium : Monocarpellary (actually tricarpellary but only one carpel

is functional), unilocular, ovary superior, style long, stigma 2 and
feathery (plants are always wind pollinated). Placentation basal. Fruit
caryopsis and single seeded.

Floral Formula:
Some Plants of Economic Importance:
Triticum aestivum = T. vulgaris (bread wheat) - a gift of old world to new
world, a natural hexaploid carrying genomes of 3 parents.
Oryza sativa (Paddy) - Chief cereal of India, cultivated by transplantation,
prefers waterlogged crop field, bran oil obtained from husk, golden rice is
genetically modified paddy, grains rich in vitamins.
Zea mays (Maize) - A gift of new world to old world, inflorescence unisexual,
style longest.
Hordeum vulgare (Barley)-Oldest amongst cultivated plants.
Pennisetum typboidum (Pearl millet or Bajara) - A food crop, straw used as
fodder.
Sorgbum vulgarum (Jowar) - Used as fodder.
Sacharum officinarum (Sugarcane) cultivated for sugar production.
Bambusa or bamboo-tallest grass, monocarpic plant.

FAMILY - ASTERACEAE
(COMPOSITAE)
(SUNFLOWER FAMILY)
This is the largest family of angiosperms, including over 950 genera and
20,000 species distributed throughout the world. Members of the family
constitute over 10% of the total number of species of angiosperms
Distinguishing CharactersInflorescence is head or capitulum type.
 Flowers are reduced to florets
 Calyx is modified to hairs or pappus
 Stamens syngenesious and epipetalous.
 Gynoecium bicarpellary and syncarpous ovary is inferior, style long and
stigma bifid.
 Fruit is cypsela. It is wind dispersed with the help of pappus.

Habit
Annual herbs (Helianthus, Tagetus, Dablia)
Root :
Tap root but in Dablia fasiculated roots
 Leaves : Usually alternate but occasionally opposite (as in Heliantbus)
or in Whorl (Eupatorium), exstipulate, petiolate, simple or compound
Venation reticulate.
Stem : Usually herbaceous, erect, much branched (branching rare in
Dablia and Heliantbus) solid, sometimes with milky latex. In Heliantbus
tuberous and stores food.
Floral Characters :
Inflorescence: Head of capitulum with involucre of bracts
Usually two types of florets are found in inflorescence viz, zygomorphic,
ligulate or ray florets and actinomorphic tubular or disc florets. In
inflorescence, ray florets are found towards the periphery (they are older in
nature) and disc florets are distributed near the center (thus younger)
Flowers: Bracteate, sessile actinomorphic (disc florets) or zygomorphic (ray
florets) epigynous and pentamerous.
Calyx : 5 modified into hairs or pappus,

Corolla : 5, Gamopetalous, tubular in disc florets but ligulate in ray florets,

aestivaiton valvate.

Androecium : Stamens 5, syngenesious (anther lobes are fused laterally but

the filaments are free) epipetalous, anthers dithecous fused to form a tube like
structure around the style. introse, dehiscence longitudinal

Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovary inferior, unilocular style long

and stigma bifid. Ovule single and attached at basal placentation. Fruit is a
single seeded achenial types Cypsela.

MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Oil Yielding plants : Heliantbus annus (sunflower oil)

Medicinal plants : Artemisia, Eclipta alba used as hair tonic with brahmi buti
and commonly known as Bringraj, Calendula officinalis
Insecticide
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium - Pyrethrum.
Food Yielding plants :
Latuca sativa (Lettuce or Salad)
Cichorium intybus chikori powder (Coffee blend)
Weeds
Parthenium bysterophorus commonly called carrot grass or congress grass.