Friday, March 13th Plant ID Class

Besides leaf structures,  and leaf shapes, this Friday's class will be reviewing the mint family (Lamiaceae) and the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae). Then we will be covering the mallow family (Malvaceae; including the newly added plants from the now defunct family Bombacaceae like Cieba (Chorisia) speciosa). We'll also(if time permits)  be covering the Olive family (Oleaceae) which includes such fragrant plants as Osmanthus and Jasminium. And finally, the third family we'll be covering (if we are just sailing along) is the Palm family (Arecaceae). Here's a map to the plants we'll be looking at.

Here are some useful links you might want to peruse before class if you have the time.

Order Malvales

Family Malvaceae

Map of all the Malvaceae (including the Bombacaceae) at the Arboretum. Jepson Herbarium: Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora Keys

Malvaceae: Wildflowers of the Mallow Family. Pictures and help with wildflower Identification from Thomas J. Elpel, author of Botany in a Day. The easy way to identify flowers.

Nice photos and drawings illustrating members of the Malvaceae.

Plantsystamatics list of families in the order Malvales.

This is way more useful for dealing with plants you think might be in the Mallow family but come from the tropics or subtropics. Already most of the Bombacaceae has been swallowed by the Malvaceae.

Harvard key to the Malvaceae (includes Chinese names)

Malvaceae flower formula and description. 

Order Oleales

Family Oleaceae

Map to all the members of the Oleaceae here at the Arboretum
University of Hawaii Oleaceae Page

University of Maine Oleaceae Overview

University of Illinois Oleaceae Page

Order Lamiales

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Texas A&M mint family page (with flower formula)
Jepson Manual description of the Lamiaceae
Jepson Manual page for identifying California native mint family members

Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)

Acanthaceae description emphasizing the retinacula (a accosory to seed dispersal unique to the Acanthaceae).
Genera in the family Acanthaceae

If we have time we'll look at the palm family. 

Order Aracales

Family: Aracaceae (Palm family)

Map of all the Arecaceae at the Arboretum

Arecaceae (Palmae) An explanation and description of the palm family from the University of Catania in Italy.

Jepson Herbarium: Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora Keys

Key to native and non-native established palms here in California

Angiosperm families - Palmae Juss.

List of taxonomic characteristics to look for when identifying palms.

Flowering Plant Families, UH Botany

University of Hawaii palm page; aloha!

University of Illinois Palm Page

Here's a re-post of the families we covered in last weeks session:

Order Ranunculales

Family: Papaveraceae

Papaveraceae

PAPAVERACEAE

Family: Papaveraceae (poppy family): Go Botany

Papaveraceae in Flora of North America (Includes Key)

UC/JEPS: Jepson Manual treatment for PAPAVERACEAE

Jepson Manual Key to California Papaveraceae

California Poppies

Glaucium flavum

Papaver

Papaveraceae members

Argemone (Pickly Poppy)

Papaver somniferum

Horn Poppy

PAPAVERACEAE

http://croatica.botanic.hr/~toni/Slike/Papaveraceae%201.gif

http://croatica.botanic.hr/~toni/Slike/Papaveraceae%203.gif

Order: Magnoliales

Magnoliales - 305 images organized by family at PlantSystematics.org image, phylogeny, nomenclature for Magnoliales

Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia family)

Magnoliaceae (Magnolia family) - 147 images at PlantSystematics.org images, phylogeny, nomenclature for (Magnoliaceae)

Michelia (Banana Shrub) - 10 images at PlantSystematics.org images, phylogeny, nomenclature for Michelia (Magnoliaceae)

Again, if we have time we'll look at the Palm family: