Today we deal with three more monocot subclasses. These include some very showy plants!
 

ARECIDAE

1. Araceae--Herbs, flowers unisexual, on a spadix subtended by a spathe. Includes many plants grown for foliage, e.g. Pothos, Philodendron, etc. Ex. Arisaema.
 

ZINGIBERIDAE
 

1. Bromeliaceae--Herbs, usually epiphytic, flowers perfect, regular, subtended by showy bracts. Ex. Tillandsia(ball moss and Spanish moss) with comose seeds and Ananas (pineapple) with multiple fruit.
 

LILIIDAE
 

1. Liliaceae--Herbs, often from bulbs, flowers with 6 tepals, ovary superior.

Ex. Nothoscordum, Allium (onion, garlic, leek, etc.)
 

2. Amaryllidaceae--Herbs, often from bulbs, flowers with 6 tepals, ovary inferior.

Ex. Amaryllis.

***Note these two families are sometimes "lumped" into the Liliaceae (s.l.)****
 

3. Orchidaceae--Herbs, often epiphytic, flowers highly modified with lip (labellum) and column; pollen in pollinia; pollination mechanism often quite species-specific; seeds numerous, small, underdeveloped. Thousands of species and thousands more cultivars. Ex. Cattleya (often in corsages), Vanilla, Spiranthes.  Our local species are all terrestrial; tropical species are often epiphytes.

Return to the Monocots II lab exercise

last updated Sept. 29, 2000 by MDR