It is commonly called the potatao family. They are widely distributed in tropics, subtropics and temperate regions.
Vegetative characters
| Habitat | – | Plants mostly herbs, shrubs and rarely small trees.
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| Stem | – | Herbaceous, rarely Woody, Aerial; Erect, Cylindrical, Branched, Solid or Hollow, Hair or Glabrous, Underground stem in Potato (Solanum Tuberosum) |
| Leaves | – | Leaves: alternate, simple, rarely pinnately compound, Exstipulate; venation reticulate. |
| Root | – | Branched tap root system. |
Floral characters
| Inflorescence | – | Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solanum. |
| Flower | – | Bisexual, actinomorphic. |
| Calyx | – | Sepals 5, United (gamosepalous), Persistent, Valvate Aestivation. |
| Corolla | – | Petals 5, United (gamopetalous); Valvate Aestivation. |
| Androecium | – | Stamens 5, Epipetalous. |
| Gynoecium | – | Bicarpellary Obligately placed, Syncarpous; Ovary superior, Bilocular, Placenta swollen with many ovules, Axile placentataion. |
| Fruit | – | Legume |
| Seed | – | Many, Endospermous. |
Floral Formula:
Floral Diagram:
Economic Importance
Members of this group yield vegetables, medicines and ornamentals.
Vegetables: Tomato, Brinjal, Potato, Chilli.
Medicine: Belladonna, Ashwagandha, Datura
Ornamental: Petunia (Queen Of The Night)
It is commonly called the ‘Lily Family’. It is a characteristic representative of monocot plants. They have a cosmopolitan distribution.
Vegetative characters
| Habitat | – | Perennial herbs with underground bulbs, corms or rhizomes. |
| Stem | – | Herbaceous or Woody, Aerial and Underground. |
| Leaves | – | Basal, Alternate, Linear, Exstipulate With Parallel Venation |
| Root | – | Usually adventitious, sometimes tuberous. |
Floral characters
| Inflorescence | – | Solitary or cymose; Umbellate clusters. |
| Flower | – | Bisexual, actinomorphic. |
| Perianth | – | Tepals six (3+3), United into a tube, Valvate Aestivation. |
| Androecium | – | Stamens six (3+3), Epipetalous. |
| Gynoecium | – | Tricarpellary, Syncarpous; Ovary superior, Trilocular, many ovules, Axile placentataion. |
| Fruit | – | Capsule, rarely berry. |
| Seed | – | Endospermous. |
Floral Formula:
Floral Diagram:
Economic Importance
Members of this group are widely used as ornamentals.
Food: Onion, Garlic, Asparagus.
Fibres: Yucca, Phormium tenax.
Medicine: Aloe vera, Gloriosa, Urginea, Asparagus, Smilax Colchicum.
Ornamental: Tulips, Lillies, Asparagus, Gloriosa, Yucca.
