Utah Flora BOT2100

Lecture 4Monocots

Including:

AgavaceaeLiliaceae

Poaceae (Graminae)

Utah Flora BOT2100

Flowering plants with a ovary wall (carpels)

Corollas and calyx generally not distinguishablesometimes bract-likeothers petaloid, called tepals

Flower parts in 3’s

Leaves generally with parallel veins

A single cotyledon (1st leaf)

Monocots

Utah Flora BOT2100

Major Families

Agavaceae – Agave, Yucca, sometimes included in Liliaceae

Amaryllidaceae – Amaryllis, Narcissus

Commelinaceae – spiderworts

Cyperaceae – sedges

Iridaceae – Iris, Gladiolus

Juncaceae – rushes

Liliaceae – Lilies, onions

Poaceae – grasses

Typhaceae – cattails

Monocots

Utah Flora BOT2100Asparagales

14 families 1,122 genera 26,070 species

Agavaceae

Worldwide 10 genera 340 species

Utah (Native and Introduced) 3 genera 13 species

DNA analyses places this family within as expanded Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)

Utah Flora BOT2100Asparagales

Agavaceae

Agave Worldwide 210 species

Utah (Native) 1 species

•endemic to North, Central, and South America•leaves spirally arranged•ovary inferior•perianth regular•tepals fused (at least basally) and whitish to yellowish•fruit a capsule

Utah Flora BOT2100

Agave utahensis

•restricted in Utah to Washington Co.

•inflorescence narrowly cylindric (appears spicate)

•leaves armed with prominent teeth

AsparagalesAgavaceae

copyright Stan Shebs, 2006

Stan Shebs, 2006

Utah Flora BOT2100Asparagales

Agavaceae

Yucca Worldwide 50 species

Utah (Native) 13 species

•endemic to North, Central, and South America•leaves spirally arranged•ovary superior•perianth regular•tepals seperate, fleshy, and whitish•fruit a capsule

Utah Flora BOT2100

Yucca breviflora

•restricted in Utah to Washington Co.

•one of 2 tree-like Yucca species in Utah, all others are shrubs

•leaves less than 2.5 dm long

AsparagalesAgavaceae

copyright UBC Botanic Garden

Utah Flora BOT2100

Yucca harrimaniae

•most widely distributed Yucca in Utah

•leaves concave on one side

•other species with leaves flat on one side

AsparagalesAgavaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100Liliales

11 families 67 genera 1,558 species

Liliaceae

Worldwide 19 genera 610 species

Utah (Native or Introduced) 28 genera* 39 species

*The Utah flora recognizes many more genera in Liliaceae than current DNA analyses support. These

genera have been split into their own families.

Utah Flora BOT2100Liliales

Liliaceae

Allium Worldwide 800 species

Utah (Native and introduced) 13 species

•perennial herbs, +/- scapose, with bulbs•inflorescence umbellate•perianth regular, all segments alike & petaloid•tepals separate and whitish to pinkish•ovary superior•fruit a capsule

Utah Flora BOT2100

Allium acuminatum

•widespread in Utah

•leaves 2 to 4, opposite

•bulbcoats with prominent, thick-margined veins (reticulations)

LilialesLiliaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100

Calochortus Worldwide 60 species

Utah (Native) 8 species

•restricted to North and Central America•perennial herbs with bulbs, stems leafy •inflorescence generally solitary•perianth regular,

•outer segments bract-like, inner segments petaloid•tepals separate and whitish, yellowish, pinkish•ovary superior•fruit a capsule

LilialesLiliaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100

Calochortus nuttallii

•widespread in Utah

•stems erect

•perianth whitish to purplish

•hairy gland at base of tepals

LilialesLiliaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100Poales

17 families 997 genera 18,325 species

Poaceae

Worldwide 668 genera 10,035 species

Utah (Native and Introduced) 91 genera 203 species

3rd largest family in Utah

All members of this family have a bract-like perianth (lemma and palea) and a caryopsis for

fruit

Sheathing

Utah Flora BOT2100

The Grass Leaf

•leaf blade forms a sheath as it surrounds the stem

blade

sheath

stem

Glumes

Utah Flora BOT2100

The Grass Flower

•1st whorl (bract-like)•2 glumes, subopposite•alike or unlike one another

Lemma

Palea

•2nd whorl (bract-like)•1 lemma•different than palea•may look similar to glumes

•1st whorl (bract-like)

•3rd whorl (bract-like)•1 palea•often thin & papery •enclosed inside lemma, mostly

4 Parts:

outer husk=glumes

Utah Flora BOT2100Poales

Poaceae

Stipa Achnatherum

Worldwide 100 species

Utah (Native) 17 species

•spikelets pedicillate with a single floret•spikelets disarticulating above the glumes•glumes longer than the lemma•lemmas with simple awns (not branched)

Utah Flora BOT2100

Stipa comata Hesperostipa comata

•one of the most widespread species of Stipa in Utah

•terminal awn 5 cm long or longer with hairs less than 1 mm long

PoalesPoaceae

glumes

awned lemma

Utah Flora BOT2100Poales

Poaceae

Elymus Agropyron

Worldwide 150 species

Utah (Native and Introduced) ~18 species

•inflorescence a solitary, terminal spike•spikelets 1-several at each node•spikelets sessile with 1 to many florets•spikelets with a disarticulating rachis•disarticulating above the glumes, also•glumes can be short-awned, lemmas awnless

Utah Flora BOT2100

Elymus cinereusLeymus cinereus

•widespread in Great Basin

•clump-forming perennials (can have short rhizomes)

•inflorescence spicate

•spikelets 3-7 at a node

PoalesPoaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100Poales

Poaceae

Bromus Worldwide 100 species

Utah (Native and Introduced) 16 species

•spikelets pedicillate with 2 to many florets•spikelets disarticulating above the glumes•glumes longer than the lemma to shorter than the lemma•lemmas with simple awns (not branched)

Utah Flora BOT2100

Bromus tectorum

•widespread exotic weed

•very flammable when dry, good tinder for man-made wildfires

•awns of the lemma less than 13 mm

•panicles loosely flowered

PoalesPoaceae

Utah Flora BOT2100Poales

Poaceae

Phragmites Worldwide 3 species

Utah (Native) 1 species

•large, rhizomatous, wetland grasses (reeds)•spikelets pedicillate with 2 to many florets•spikelets disarticulating above the glumes•glumes shorter than the lemma

Utah Flora BOT2100

Phragmites australis

•widespread saline marsh grass

•inflorescence large

•branches drooping

PoalesPoaceae

Copyright Environment Canada

Utah Flora BOT2100

Assignment

•Draw and label species provided in lab

•Make sure to label those morphological features that helped you identify the sample (the characters in the key)

•Identify & label all samples to family and genus

•For Practice: use A Utah Flora to identify & label all samples to species (other than any we determined in class together)