Asterids – Part 1Basal Asterids, Asterids I (Lamiids)

Spring 2010

Phylogeny of the Major Angiosperm Groups

Rosids AsteridsBasal Tricolpates Caryophyllids

Magnoliids &Monocots

BasalAngiosperms

Amborella

Eudicots

Core Eudicots

tricolpate pollen

Asterid characters

• Molecular data• Ovules with a single integument • (reduction from two integuments)• Iridoid compounds

Core Asterids

• Number of stamens = number of petals• Epipetalous stamens• Sympetalous corolla (also in Ericales)• Molecular data• Two main clades: lamiids (euasterids I:

Garryales, Gentianales, Lamiales, Solanales) and campanulids (euasterids II: Aquifoliales, Apiales, Dipsacales, Asterales)

Asterid taxa“Basal” Asterids

Order Cornales – dogwoods

Order Ericales – azaleas, blueberries, cranberries

Asterids I (lamiids)Order Solanales – potatoes, tomatoes, peppers

Order Gentianales – gentians, milkweeds, coffeeOrder Lamiales – mints, olives, snapdragons

Asterids II (campanulids)Order Apiales – ginseng, carrots, dill, parsley

Order Dipsacales – honeysuckle, elderberryOrder Asterales – bluebells, sunflowers

Asterid taxa – Part 1“Basal” Asterids

Order CornalesCornaceae – dogwoods

Order EricalesEricaceae – blueberries, heaths Polemoniaceae – phlox

Asterids I (lamiids)Order Solanales

Solanaceae – potatoes, tomatoes, pepperConvolvulaceae – bindweeds, sweet potato

Order GentianalesRubiaceae – coffee, quinineApocynaceae – dogbanes, milkweeds

Order Lamiales

Asterids II (campanulids)

“Basal” Asterids:

Cornales: Cornaceae(The Dogwood Family)

• Widespread, especially common in north temperate regions

• Usually trees or shrubs; leaves usually opposite, usually entire, with secondary veins smoothly arching toward leaf margins (arcuate venation)

• Diversity: 110 species in 7 genera

• Flowers: Sepals & petals 4-5; stamens 4-10, pollen apertures with an H-shaped thin region; carpels usually 2 or 3, connate, inferior ovary; fruit a drupe, the pit winged or ridged

• Significant features: Nectar disk on top of the ovary; inflorescences sometimes with showy bracts; basal lineage of the Asterids!

• Special uses: Ornamentals such as (Cornus) and tupelo (Nyssa)

• Required taxa: Cornus

Cornaceae: Cornus

-shrubs, trees or herbs with usually opposite simple leaves-flowers small, in open cymes or in close heads surrounded by petal-like bracts-calyx minutely 4-toothed-petals 4, stamens 4-fruit a small drupe

“Basal” Asterids:

Ericales: Ericaceae(The Heath or Blueberry Family)

• Cosmopolitan; most diverse in montane habitats in E. Asia, E North America, S Africa, Australia. Favor acid soils; sunny or part-shaded habitats

• Trees, shrubs, lianas, occasionally mycoparasitic herbs lacking chlorophyll; leaves usually alternate and spiral

• Diversity: 4,100 species in 124 genera• Flowers: Often showy. Sepals 4-5; petals 4-5, connate forming a

cylindrical to urn-shaped corolla; stamens (3) 8-10; anthers often with appendages, and poricidal dehiscence, pollen grains often in tetrads; carpels 2-10, connate, superior to inferior ovary; fruit a septic. or loculic. capsule, berry, drupe

• Significant features: anthers often with poricidal dehiscence & sometimes with appendages; leaves often coriaceous

• Special uses: blueberries & cranberries (Vaccinium), Rhododendron and allies (Rhododendron, Erica, Kalmia, Pieris) are showy ornamentals

• Required taxa: Rhododendron

Ericaceae: Rhododendron-shrubs or small trees with deciduous or evergreen leaves-flowers developed from scaly buds, mostly 5-merous-corolla deciduous-stamens usually 2x the number of corolla lobes; anthers with poricidal dehiscence-ovary superior-fruit a septicidal capsule

“Basal” Asterids:

Ericales: Polemoniaceae(The Phlox Family)

• Widely distributed; most diverse in temperate regions, especially western North America

• Herbs, occasionally shrubs or small trees• Diversity: 380 species in 18 genera• Flowers: Sepals 5; petals usually 5, strongly connate

forming a narrow tube, distal (free) ends of petals often markedly bent; stamens usually 5, filaments adnate to corolla tube; carpels 3, connate, superior ovary; fruit usually a loculicidal capsule

• Significant features: Flowers distinctive with narrow tube and plicate and convolute corolla lobes

• Special uses: Many ornamentals (Phlox, Gilia, Polemonium)

• Required taxa: Phlox

Polemoniaceae: Phlox

-herbaceous perennials (usually)-leaves usually opposite, simple, entire-flowers in cymes-stamens very unequally inserted on the long corolla tube-capsules ovoid

Asterid taxa – Part 1“Basal” Asterids

Order CornalesCornaceae – dogwoods

Order EricalesEricaceae – blueberries, heaths Polemoniaceae – phlox

Asterids I (lamiids)Order Solanales

Solanaceae – potatoes, tomatoes, pepperConvolvulaceae – bindweeds, sweet potato

Order GentianalesRubiaceae – coffee, quinineApocynaceae – dogbanes, milkweeds

Order Lamiales

Asterids II (campanulids)

Asterids I:

Solanales: Solanaceae(The Potato Family)

• Widespread but most diverse in the neotropics• Herbs, shrubs, trees, vines; leaves alternate; often with a

‘solanaceous smell’• Diversity: 2,510 species in 102 genera• Flowers: Sepals 5, connate; petals 5, connate, forming variously

tubular corolla, plicate (folded) ; stamens 5, filaments adnate to corolla, sometimes anthers connivant; carpels usually 2 (-5), connate, oriented obliquely to the median plane of the flower; superior ovary; fruit usually a berry (occ. a capsule, schizocarp or nutlet)

• Significant features: Complex chemistry with solanacous tropane alkaloids; belladonna/atropine, nicotine, capsaicin, etc.

• Special uses: Many useful fruits and vegetables (potatoes & tomatoes - Solanum, peppers - Capsicum), tobacco (Nicotiana), some ornamentals (Petunia)

• Required taxa: Petunia, Solanum

Solanaceae: Solanum

-herbs or shrubs-corolla regular, rotate, 5-merous, deeply lobed-anthers forming a tube around the style, with terminal openings; filaments short-fruit a berry, usually 2-locular-ca. 1,400 species, mostly tropical

Solanaceae: Petunia

-herbs with upper leaves tending to become opposite-corolla slightly irregular, a little bilabiate, funnelform or salverform-stamens unequal, 1 much smaller than the others

SolanaceaeEconomic plants and products:

•Edibles:•Cayenne pepper (Capsicum)•Eggplant (Solanum)•Green pepper (Capsicum)•Red pepper (Capsicum)•Potato (Solanum)•Tomato (Solanum)

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Solanaceae

Economic plants and products:

•Medicinal/toxic plants ~ Alkaloids!

•Belladona (Atropa)•Henbane (Hyoscyamus)•Jimson-weed (Datura)•Nightshade (Solanum)•Mandrake (Mandragora)•Tobacco (Nicotiana)

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Asterids I:

Solanales: Convolvulaceae(The Morning Glory Family)

• Widespread; most diverse in tropical, and subtropical regions• Twining and climbing herbs, often with laticifers; leaves alternate and

spiral• Diversity: 1,930 species in 55 genera• Flowers: often showy; sepals 5, distinct or only slightly connate;

petals 5, connate into funnelform tube, plicate and twisted in bud; stamens usually 5, filaments epipetalous, often of unequal lengths; carpels 2, connate, superior ovary; fruit a septifragal, circumcissile, or variously dehiscing capsule

• Significant features: Latex (milky sap); flowers last for a day or less• Special uses: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) root eaten as

vegetable; some used as ornamentals, e.g. morning glory (Ipomoea); bindweed (Convolvulus), dodder (Cuscuta)

• Required taxa: *family only

*change from lab manual

Asterids I:

Gentianales: Rubiaceae(The Coffee or Madder Family)

• Cosmopolitan, most diverse in the tropics and subtropical regions• Trees, shrubs lianas or herbs, vines, shrubs; leaves opposite or

whorled • Diversity: 9,000 species in 550 genera• Flowers: usually bisexual and radial; sepals 4-5, connate; petals 4-5,

connate, forming a funnel shaped corolla; stamens usually 4 or 5, adnate to corolla; carpels usually 2 (-5), connate, inferior ovary; fruit a loculicidal or septicidal capsule, berry, drupe, or schizocarp

• Significant features: interpetiolar stipules• Special uses: Major commodity is coffee (Coffea); anti-malarial drug

obtained from the bark of Cinchona (quinine); ipecac (make-U-vomit) comes from Psychotria; gardenias (Gardenia), Pentas, and Ixora provide ornamentals

• Required taxa: *Galium

*change from lab manual

Rubiaceae

interpetiolar stipules

Rubiaceae: Galium

-stems 4-angled-slender herbs with whorled leaves-flowers small, in cymes-calyx teeth obsolete-corolla rotate-stamens 4 (rarely 3)-1 ovule per locule, the 2 carpels separating when ripe

Asterids I:

Gentianales: Apocynaceae(The Milkweed Family; incl. Asclepiadaceae)

• Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions; some in temperate regions

• Trees, shrubs, herbs, lianas, vines with laticifers and usually milky sap

• Diversity: 3,700 species in 355 genera• Flowers: Sepals usu. 5; petals usu. 5, connate forming bell- funnel- or

tubular-shaped corolla; stamens usually 5, filaments always adnate to the corolla, anthers distinct or connate and forming a ring to fused to the stylar head; staminal outgrowths (corona) often present and petal-like; carpels usually 2, connate by styles/stigmas only & ovaries distinct to fully connate, superior ovary; apex of style expanded and highly modified, forming a 5-sided head, secreting viscin; fruits often paired, each ovary developing into a dry follicle, drupe or berry

• Significant features: Usually opposite leaves; pollen in sticky masses (viscin) or in pollinia; seeds flattened, often with a tuft of hairs

• Special uses: Some chemical uses (e.g. Catharanthus, “Madagascar periwinkle”), and ornamentals (Asclepias, Vinca, Plumeria, Nerium)

• Required taxa: Asclepias

Apocynaceae – Groups without pollinia

Plumeria

Nerium oleander

Vinca

Apocynum

Catharanthus

Thevetia

Figure 9.120 from the text

Apocynaceae with pollinia

Asclepias

Stapelia

Ceropegia

Hoya

Calotropus

Figure 9.121 from the text

Apocynaceae: Asclepias-plants herbaceous, stems erect to leaning-leaves usually opposite, sometimes alternate or whorled-inflorescence an umbel-corona of 5 hooded fleshy bodies, each usually with an incurved horn but lacking a crest-pollen in pollinia, the pollinia suspended-fruit a dry, ovoid or lanceolate follicle, one of the pair often aborting