Patterns of Plant Families
For more information please see Thomas Elpel's book Botany in a Day or website Wildflowers-and-Weeds.com.
Please note that the superscript notations 1-7 refer to illustrative photos in the slideshow below.
Click on the photos to see the notes for each image.
|
Family |
Petals |
Sepals |
Stamens |
Pistils |
Other |
|
Mustard (all species edible)
|
4 |
4 |
6 (4 tall, 2 short) |
|
Seed pods form raceme1 |
|
Mint (all spp. edible, volatile oils antibacterial & diaphoretic)
|
Irregular flowers, 5 united petals |
5 united sepals |
4 (2 tall, 2 short) |
|
Square stem, opposite leaves, usually aromatic |
|
Parsley (Some species toxic!)
|
5 |
|
5 stamens |
|
Flowers form in compound umbels, stems hollow |
|
Lily (Some species toxic!)
|
3 |
3 (identical to petals) |
6 |
3-parted stigma |
Linear leaves, parallel veins2 |
|
Onion Subfamily (mostly edible)
|
6 identical petals + sepals. Flowers form in umbels, emerge from bract wrapped around flowerhead. |
6 |
|
Linear leaves, parallel veins |
|
|
Pea (some species edible)
|
Irregular flowers forming banner, wings, & keel3 |
|
|
|
Leaves often divided pinnately into leaflets3; pea-like pods |
|
Aster (some species edible)
|
Composite flowers, w/ either disk flowers, ray flowers, or both. Disk flowers have 5 petals.4 |
|
|
Bracts resemble sepals, often in multiple layers |
|
|
Dandelion Subfamily (most species edible)
|
Straight-edged petals actually ray flowers. No disk flowers.5 |
May be numerous |
|
Sticky, milky white juice in stems |
|
|
Oxalis (all species safe)
|
5 |
5 |
10 |
|
3-parted leaves, heart-shaped leaflets6; green seed pods have 5 ridges, sour lemony flavor |
|
Rose Subfamily (blackberries, etc, & edible leaves)
|
5 |
5 |
Numerous |
Numerous |
Serrated ovalish leaves or leaflets7; leaves often w/ stipules |
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