Page 28 - Lesson Notes-Morphologyof flowering plant

2. Distribution
The family is represented by 90 genera and 2800 species distributed in both tropical
and temperate regions.
3. Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or rarely soft wooded trees.
4. Vegetative Characters
(i) Root Usually tap roots.
(ii) Stem Herbaceous or woody, hair or prickles often present, sometimes
underground tubers (Solanum tuberosum).
(iii) Leaf In vegetative parts alternate and floral regions opposite, exstipulate, simple,
rarely pinnately compound as in potato and tomato.
5. Floral Characters
(i) Inflorescence Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solarium.
(ii) Flower Bisexual, actinomorphic, ebracteate, pedicellate, pentamerous and
hypogynous.
(а) Calyx Sepals 5, united, valvate aestivation, usually persistent as in brinjal, tomato,
chilly, etc.
(b) Corolla Petals 5, united, valvate aestivation, rotate or tubular, rarely funnel-
shaped.
(c) Androecium Stamens 5, epipetalous, alternating with, petals, inserted in corolla
tube, filaments usually of unequal length, anthers bithecous.
(d) Gynoecium Bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovary superior, bilocular, placenta swollen
with many ovules.
(e) Fruits Berry or capsule.
(f) Seeds Endospermic, embryo straight.