Habit shrubs or trees

Leaves palmately-veined, simple or palmately or pinnately compound leaves, opposite; estipulate

Inflorescence panicle, raceme, corymb, or umbel-like axillary cluster

Special floral characters: nectary disc, carpels winged

Calyx 5 (4, 6-9) sepals, distinct or basally connate

Corolla 5 (0, 4, 6-9) petals, distinct

Androecium 8 (4-12) stamens, distinct

Gynoecium 2 (3+) carpels, connate, winged; superior; 2 styles or 1 style deeply divided

Fruit= samaroid schizocarp with 1 seed maturing per locule

(Floral formula: Ca 5 Co 5 A 8 G 2 )

Rosidae II

Aceraceae -- the maple family (2/120; Mostly New and Old World temperates, plus tropics of s.e. Asia)

The genera: Acer (maple) is common to both the Old and New Worlds. The other, Dipteronia, occurs only in China.

Notes: Acer is the source of maple syrup and many species are valuable timber trees and their wood are used to make furniture. Also used as street and other landscaping trees/shrubs.

In the field, the opposite, palmately-veined, simple leaves (except things like A. negundo), opposite branching, and the two-winged samaroid schizocarps should diagnose the family.

Rosidae II

Aceraceae -- comments

Habit shrubs, trees, woody vines

Leaves simple to pinnate to trifoliolate, alternate; estipulate

Inflorescence panicle

Special floral characters: nectary disc, hypanthium sometimes present, flowers often imperfect, resinous compounds or volatile substances with strong

odor in stems and leaves

Calyx 5 (3-7) sepals, connate

Corolla 5 (3-7) petals, distinct

Androecium 5-10 (1, many) stamens, distinct or weakly connate at base

Gynoecium 3 (2-12) carpels, connate; superior; 3 (1 or 4-5) styles, distinct

Fruit= drupe or berry

(Floral formula: Ca 5 Co 5 A 5-10 G 3 )

familyRosidae II

Anacardiaceae -- the sumac family (75/600; predominately tropical, extends up into the temperate zones of North America and Eurasia)

Habit woody vines with tendrils, less common as shrubs, trees

Leaves simple and palmately lobed or veined, or pinnately or palmately compound, alternate; estipulate or stipulate

Inflorescence cymose, variable

Special floral characters: nectary disc

Calyx 4-5 (3-7) sepals, connate

Corolla 4-5 (3-7, 0) petals, distinct (connate) or apically coherent

Androecium 4-5 (3-7) stamens, distinct or anthers connate; opposite petals

Gynoecium 2 (3-6) carpels, connate; superior; 1 style or sessile stigma

Fruit= berry

(Floral formula: Ca 4-5 Co 4-5 A 4-5 G 2 )

familyRosidae II

Vitaceae -- the grape family (11-14/700; Mostly tropical and subtropical with a few widespread temperate spp.)

Habit shrubs or trees

Leaves simple to pinnately compound, alternate; estipulate; vegetation usually punctate with oil glands and often strongly scented

Inflorescence various

Special floral characters: nectary disc, punctate glands often present (even in flowers)

Calyx 4-5 (2-3) sepals, connate

Corolla 4-5 petals, distinct (connate)

Androecium 4-10 stamens, distinct

Gynoecium 2-5 (1, many) carpels, connate; superior; 1 style

Fruit= capsule, berry, hesperidium, samara, schizocarp, or cluster of follicles

(Floral formula: Ca 4-5 Co 4-5 A 4-10 G 4-5 )

Rosidae II

Rutaceae -- the citrus family (150+/900-1500; cosmopolitan tropical and temperate)

Habit herbs, shrubs, trees, stem succulents often with milky sap

Leaves simple, alternate or opposite; stipulate

Inflorescence various, sometimes very condensed forming a cyathium

Special floral characters: imperfect flowers, typically apetalous,

Calyx 4-5 (0) sepals, distinct or connate

Corolla 0 (4-5) petals, distinct or basally connate; can be adnate to stamens

Androecium 1-many stamens, distinct or variously connate

Gynoecium 3 (1-20) carpels, connate; superior; 3 (1-20) styles often forked

Fruit=schizocarpic capsule (rarely a drupe, berry, pod, or samara)

(Floral formula: Ca4-5 (0) Co 0 (4-5) A 0 G 3 // Ca4-5 (0) Co 0 (4-5) A 1-many G 0 )

Rosidae II

Euphorbiaceae -- the spurge family (320/7500; pan tropical, poorly represented in temperate areas)

Habit herbs (rarely shrubs or trees)

Leaves simple to variously lobed or compound, alternate; estipulate with petioles sheathing; with internal oil glands and often strongly scented

Inflorescence compound umbels (rarely simple umbels, heads, or axillary)

Special floral characters: small flowers, sepals may be highly reduced

Calyx 5 sepals, distinct

Corolla 5 (0) petals, distinct

Androecium 5 stamens, distinct, alternate to petals

Gynoecium 2 carpels, connate; inferior; 2 styles often subtended by bulging stylopodia

Fruit= schizocarp with 2 mericarps, often strongly ribbed, sometimes winged, samaraoid or covered with tubercles or prickles

(Floral formula: Ca 5 (0) Co 5 A 5 G 2 )

Rosidae II

Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) -- the carrot family (428/3000; cosmopolitan, greatest diversity in north temperate zone)