FAMILIES OF WILDFLOWERS FOR THE FIRST HIKE
David B. Fankhauser, PhD
27 March 2000
This page has been accessed Counter times since 1 September 2000.

One of the highlights of Spring Biology Lab is that we spend about a lab a week out in the field studying the biology of local flora and fauna. Weather permitting, we take a short hike on the first lab of the quarter. Since we will be studying flower structure of wildflowers, and how this is used to assign them to taxonomic families, here is a list of commonly encountered plant families in early blooming wildflowers of SW Ohio.

The page numbers refer to Roger Tory Peterson's, Field Guide to Wildflowers, Houghton-Mifflin (1968)


FAMILY TRAITS EARLY EXAMPLES
(Number is page in Peterson's)
Liliaceae
(Lily)
xvi		 Parallel leaves, flower parts in 3s or 6s, long pistil, 3 lobed stigma Sessile Trillium 240
White Trout-lily 10
Portulacaceae
(Purslane)
xviii		 2 sepals, usually 5 petals Spring-beauty 32
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)
xviii		 Numerous stamen and pistils form bushy cluster in center of flower Marsh-marigold 130
Kidneyleaf Buttercup 132
Papaveraceae
(Poppy)
xix		 Milky, acrid juice, petals in 4s of multiples of 4. Bloodroot 22
Cruciferae
(Mustard)
xix		 4 petals form a cross, 6 stamen, 2 shorter Spring Cress 84
Cut-leafed Toothwort 84
Pennsylvania Bitter Cress 84
Rosaceae
(Rose)
xx		 5 rounded petals, 5 sepals, indefinite number of stamen Apple 
Violaceae
(Violet)
xxii		 5 petals, lowest often wider & veined, extends back as spur Common Violet 318
Umbelliferae
(Parsley)
xxiii		 Numerous small, 5-petaled flowers arranged in an umbel, parsley-like foliage Pepper and Salt 52 

Queen Anne's Lace 48
Labiatae
(Mint)
xxv		 Square stemmed, leaves opposite, corolla with 2 flaring lips, upper 2 lobed, lower 3 lobed Purple Dead-nettle 280

Ground-ivy 348
Compositae
(Daisy)
xxviii		 Cluster of small florets form a disc, often with sterile ray florets around perimeter Dandelion 110

Coltsfoot 110

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