Basal Monocots

Group 3
2-B1
Bautista, Alyssa
Belen, Alexis
Bitera, Christine Danica
Buenaventura, Gelsie Rose

Lauraceae

Cinnamomum myrianthum

Chinamonanthus praecox

Diagnostic features:
Most of the Lauraceae are evergreen trees in habit. The fruits of Lauraceae are drupes,
one-seeded fleshy fruit with a hard layer, the endocarp, surrounding the seed. However,
the endocarp is very thin, so the fruit resemble a one-seeded berry. The fruit in some
species are partly immersed or covered in a cup-shaped or deep thick cupule, which is
formed from the tube of the calyx where the peduncle joins the fruit; this gives the fruit
an appearance similar to an acorn.

Annonaceae

Annona squamosa
a.

Ar t abot r ys hexapet al us

Artabotrys hexapetalus

Diagnostic features:
Bark is fibrous and aromatic. Pith septate to diaphragmed. Branching distichous or
spiral. Leaves are alternate, two-ranked, simple, pinnately veined, and have leaf stalks.
Stipules absent. Flower stalks are axillary to leaf scars on old wood and sometimes
from leaves on new shoots. The flowers are usually trimerous; borne singly or in
compound inflorescences; bisexual and rarely unisexual. The receptacle might become
enlarged, elevated or flat. The outer whorls are inserted below the ovaries, and have
valvate (overlapping) or imbricate (nonoverlapping) segments. Usually two to four
persistent sepals that are distinct or connate (fused) at the base. Six petals in two
unequal whorls of three with larger outer whorls and fleshier inner whorls that might
share the same nectar glands, or six to fifteen petals, with impressed veins on their
inner face. Ten to twenty (or many more) stamens inserted below the ovary, spirally
arranged and forming a ball or flat-topped mass with short and stout filaments and linear
to oblong anthers which face outward and open longitudinally. Each flower can have
from one to many pistils, distinct to connate, with stigmas distinct. Marginal placentation,

each pistil bearing one locule, with one to many ovules. Style short and thick, with
terminal stigma. Fruits are single berries or coalesce from several. Seeds are one to
many per pistil; have a fleshy and usually brightly colored cover, have ruminate
endosperm and are oily.

Magnoliaceae

Magnolia coco

Magnolia x alba

Diagnostic features:
Most have bisexual flowers are showy, fragrant, radial, and with an elongated
receptacle. Leaves are alternate, simple, and sometimes lobed. The inflorescence is a
solitary, showy flower with indistinguishable petals and sepals. Sepals range from six to
many; stamens are numerous and feature short filaments which are poorly differentiated
from the anthers. Carpels are usually numerous, distinct, and on an elongated
receptacle or torus. The fruit is an etario of follicles which usually become closely
appressed as they mature and open along the abaxial surface. Seeds have a fleshy
coat and color that ranges from red to orange. Magnoliaceae flowers are beetle
pollinated, except for Liriodendron, which is bee pollinated. The carpels of Magnolia
flowers are especially thick to avoid damage by beetles that land, crawl, and feast on
them. The seeds of Magnolioideae are bird dispersed, while the seeds of Liriodendron
are wind dispersed.

Nymphaeaceae

Diagnostic features:
Are aquatic, rhizomatous herbs. The family is further characterized by scattered
vascular bundles in the stems, and frequent presence of latex, usually with distinct,
stellate-branched sclereids projecting into the air canals. Hairs are simple, usually
producing mucilage (slime). Leaves are alternate and spiral, opposite or occasionally
whorled, simple, peltate or nearly so, entire to toothed or dissected, short to long
petiolate), with blade submerged, floating or emergent, with palmate to pinnate
venation. Stipules are either present or absent. Flowers are solitary, bisexual, radial,
with a long pedicel and usually floating or raised above the surface of the water, with
girdling vascular bundles in receptacle. Sepals are 4-12, distinct to connate, imbricate,
and often petal-like. Petals lacks or 8 to numerous, inconspicuous to showy, often
intergrading with stamens. Stamens are 3 to numerous, the innermost sometimes
represented by staminodes. Filaments are distinct, free or adnate to petaloid
staminodes, slender and well differentiated from anthers to laminar and poorly
differentiated from anthers; pollen grains usually monosulcate or lacking apertures.
Carpels are 3 to numerous, distinct or connate. Fruit is an aggregate of nuts, a berry, or
an irregularly dehiscent fleshy capsule. Seeds are often arillate, more or less lacking
sperm.

Chloranthaceae

Chloranthus erectus

Diagnostic features:
Members of this family are aromatic and have opposite, evergreen leaves with
distinctive serrate margins and interpetiolar stipules (similar to the stipules found in
family Rubiaceae). The flowers are inconspicuous, and arranged in inflorescences.
Petals are absent in this family, and sometimes so are sepals. The flowers can be either
hermaphrodite or of separate sexes. The fruit is drupe-like, consisting of one carpel.