The Morton Arboretum's Naturalist Certificate Program
Plant Families of the Midwest   - Winter 2001

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Magnoliopsida Part 4: a comparison of Hamamelidae families.
This page has comparison of floral formulas.
For Images please use the links below.

The following link is to the site that I am using for lectures.
BOTANY 301 - TAXONOMY OF FLOWERING PLANTS
This page is the index to the following pages for each Subclass which then link to the families, or you can link directly to the family pages from here if you don't want to read about the SubClasses.

Below are the links for each family and the floral formulas. CA = Calyx, CO = Corolla, A = Androecium, G = Gynoecium. A line below the G = Hypogynous flower (ovary superior); a line above the G = Epigynous flower (ovary inferior). A circle around a number means the parts are fused.


Magnoliopsida

The Subclass Hamamelidae

The Order Urticales

Ulmaceae - the Elm Family
Ulmaceae
Flowers perfect in Elm (Ulmus) while Hackberry (Celtis) is monoecious with unisexual flowers on the same tree. Fruit is an evenly-winged samara (elm) or drupe (hackberry).


The Order Fagales

Fagaceae - the Beech or Oak Family
Fagaceae
Male flowers in a catkin or solitary; female flowers are in an involucre. Fruit is a true nut, with or without a set of fused bracts (= cupule, example is the acorn cap).


Betulaceae - the Birch Family
Betulaceae
Both the male and female flowers are in catkins. Fruit is a nut or samara.

Patrick R. Leacock
Education Program Developer / Research Scientist (Biology)
Department of Botany, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605-2496
E-mail: pleacock@fieldmuseum.org