Study and describe locally available common
flowering plants
Family -Solanaceae
Aim: Study and describe flowering plants of families Solanaceae.
Principle: Taxonomy deals with identification, nomenclature and
classification of organisms. Bentham and Hooker's system of classification
is universally used for classification of plants. Field identification of plants
is based primarily on morphological features particularly the floral
characters.
Requirement: Locally available plant specimens of Solanaceae. Each
specimen should have at least a small branch with a few inter nodes,
leaves, flowers and fruits; glass slides, cover glass, water, 100 ml beakers,
petridish, razor, blade, needles, brush, hand lens, dissecting microscope
and compound microscope.
Keep the twigs in beakers containing water. Make yourself familiar with
the terms given to describe the habit of plant, its root system, stem and
leaf, inflorescence and flowers. Describe the vegetative and floral features
of the plant in the same sequence using terms described therein. Observe
the flower bud under dissection microscope or a hand lens and note the
aestivation patterns of calyx and corolla, number of sepals and petals (tri,
tetra, pentamerous), number of stamens.
Position (attachment) of stamens – opposite/alternate to petals; free
or epipetalous; extrorse/ introrse anthers (anther lobes in the bud face
away from axis – extrorse; anther lobes in the bud face towards the main
axis – introrse).
Number of carpels (mono, bi, tri- carpellary); Position of the ovary
(epigynous, perigynous, hypogynous).
Observations
Compare the characters with those given in the table and identify the
family to which the plant belongs to.
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Description of parts of flowers:
Aestivation Arrangement of sepals and petals with respect to one
another
i.Valvate: The sepals/petals close to each other without
overlapping or may be in contact with each other.
(ii) Twisted: Overlapping is regular, i.e., one margin of
the sepal/ petal overlap the next member and the other
margin is overlapped by the previous.
(iii) Imbricate: Out of five sepals/petals one is
completely internal being overlapped on both margins
and one is completely external with the rest of the
members arranged as in twisted aestivation.
(iv)Vexillary: Out of five sepals/petals the posterior one
is the largest and external almost completely covering
two lateral members which in turn overlap the two small
anterior sepals/petals
Adhesion Fusion of stamens with other parts of the flower.
i.Epipetalous: Stamens fused with petals e.g.,
Sunflower, Datura.
ii) Epiphyllous: Stamens fused with perianth e.g., Lily.
Lobes of (i) Monothecous: Anther single lobed.
anther (ii) (ii) Dithecous: Anther bi-lobe
Position of (i) Epigynous: Position of ovary inferior to other
ovary floral parts. e.g., mustard, China rose.
(ii) Perigynous: Other floral parts (organs) are
attached around the ovary. e.g., apple, guava.
(iii) Hypogynous: Position of ovary superior to other
floral parts e.g., sunflower
Cohesion If number of carpels is more than one, they may be
(i) Apocarpous: Carpels are free. Each carpel has
its own style and stigma. e.g., rose.
(ii) Syncarpous: Carpels are united, e.g., lady finger,
tomato.
Number of Vary from one to many
locules in i.Unilocular: One locule, e.g., rose, pea.
ovary (ii) Bilocular: Two locules. e.g., datura.
(iii) Multilocular: Many locules, e.g., lady’s finger, China
rose.
Placentation (i) Marginal: The placenta forms a ridge along the
ventral suture of the ovary and the ovules are
borne on this ridge e.g., pea.
(ii) Axile: The ovary is partitioned into several
chambers or locules and the placentae are
borne along the septa of the ovary. e.g.,
tomato, China rose.
(iii) Parietal: The ovules develop on the inner wall of
the ovary or on peripheral part. Ovary unilocular but
in some cases becomes two chambered due to
formation of a false septum. e.g., mustard.
(iv) Free central: Ovules are borne on the central axis
and septa are absent. e.g., carnation, chilly.
(v) Basal: Placenta develops at the base of the ovary.
e.g., sunflower
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DESCRIPTION OF SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES OF FAMILIY
Solanaceae
It is a large family, commonly called as the ‘potato family’. It is widely
distributed in tropics, subtropics and even temperate zones
Vegetative Characters Plants mostly herbs, shrubs and rarely small
trees
Stem: herbaceous rarely woody, aerial; erect, cylindrical, branched, solid
or hollow, hairy or glabrous, underground stem in potato (Solanum
tuberosum)
Leaves: alternate, simple, rarely pinnately compound, exstipulate;
venation reticulate 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 obligately placed, syncarpous; ovary superior,
bilocular, placenta swollen with many ovules, axile
Fruits: berry or capsule
Seeds: many, endospermous
Floral Formula:
Economic Importance -Many plants belonging to this family are source
of food (tomato, brinjal, potato), spice (chilli); medicine (belladonna,
ashwagandha); fumigatory (tobacco); ornamentals (petunia).
