Describe the flora characters of family solancae. Give flora formula, flora diagram and names of two plants of economic importance
Answers
Answer:
Solanaceae is a family of angiosperms. It is also known as the ‘potato family’. It is widely distributed all over the world in tropical, subtropical and temperate zones. It includes a number of spices, medicinal plants, agricultural crops, etc. Vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant are included in the Solanaceae family.
Floral formula and floral diagram of Solanaceae family
Floral Formula
A floral formula is a symbolic representation of different floral parts, their numbers, arrangement pattern and how they are related. The general floral formula of Solanaceae family is as follows:
Floral formula of Solanaceae
Here the symbols represent:
⊕
Actinomorphic (radial symmetry)
⚥
Bisexual
K(5)
Calyx – 5 sepals, gamosepalous (united)
C(5)
Corolla – 5 petals, gamopetalous
A5
Androecium – 5 stamens, polyandrous (free), epipetalous (attached to petals)
G(2)
Gynoecium – bicarpellary, syncarpous (united), superior ovary
Systematic Position Of Solanaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Super Division: Spermatophyta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Features Of Solanaceae Family
Some Common Plants
Solanaceae is a big family of flowering plants having ~102 genera accounting for ~2500 species. Some common examples are:
Common name
Scientific name
Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Eggplant
S. melongena
Tomato
S. lycopersicum
Bell pepper
Capsicum annuum
Tobacco
Nicotiana tabacum
Belladonna
Atropa belladonna
Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera
Datura
Datura stramonium
Black nightshade
S. nigrum
Petunia
Petunia hybrida
Description Of The Family
Habit: Solanaceae family contains herbs, shrubs and also some small trees.
Root: Typically they possess a tap root system with branching.
Stem: Aerial, branched, erect, mostly herbaceous, cylindrical, hairy or glabrous. Potato is an example of an underground stem.
Leaf: Leaves are simple, alternate and sometimes pinnately compound. Venation is reticulate. Leaves are exstipulate or sessile. Sometimes transformed into spines.
Inflorescence: Flowers are solitary or grouped having axillary or cymose inflorescence.
Flower: Bracteate or ebracteolate, actinomorphic and generally hermaphrodite. The flower is pentamerous and hypogynous.
Calyx: Sepals green or coloured, typically 5 sepals, gamosepalous, persistent and show valvate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals 5, gamopetalous and valvate or imbricate aestivation.
Androecium: Stamens 5, polyandrous and epipetalous.
Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous with the superior and bilocular ovary. Each locule contains many ovules (1-50). The placenta is swollen and axile placentation. The ovary is placed obliquely. It contains one style and one simple or bilobate stigma.
Fruit: It can be berry, e.g. tomatoes or capsule as in datura.
Seeds: Contains many seeds that are endospermic. Seeds are mostly round and flat. The embryo is curved or straight with two cotyledons. Mostly plants contain 2n = 24 (2 x 12) chromosomes but polyploidy is also seen with chromosomes in multiples of 12.
Pollination: Members of this family mainly exhibit entomophilous pollination, i.e. pollinated by insects.
Answer:
It is a large family commonly called as potato family.
Vegetative Characters
Stem: herbaceous rarely woody, aerial, erect, cylindrical, branched, solid or hollow, hairy or glabrous, underground stem in potato.
Leaves: alternate, simple, rarely pinnately compound, exstipulate; reticulate venation.
Floral Characters
Inflorescence: Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solanum.
Flower: bisexual, actinomorphic.
Calyx: sepals five, united persistent, valvate aestivation.
Corolla:petals five, united, valvate aestivation.
Androecium: stamens five, epipetalous.
Gynoecium:bicarpellary, syncarpous; superior ovary, bilocular, placenta swollen with many ovules.
Fruits: berry or capsule.
Seeds: Many, endospermous
Floral formula:
Economic Importance:-
Medicinal plants:-belladonna, ashwagandha, datura(stramonium leaves dried and used as asthma medicine).
Food plants:-various vegetables like the tomato, potato, brinjal etc are belongs to this family.
Spice:-Chili.
Tobacco plants which a source of alkaloid nicotine belongs to this family.
Ornamentals:-Petunia is well known for its different colours