Synopsis of Classes and Orders
SYNOPSIS OF CLASSES AND ORDERS
(Continued from Volume I)
Families indigenous in New Zealand are listed and for each the number of genera recognized in this country is given with (in parentheses) the names of endemic genera. The sequence of families follows, with some exceptions, that of Hutchinson in The Families of Flowering Plants II, ed. 2, 1959; there the Monocotyledones are divided into: I Calyciferae, having typically a biseriate perianth, "the outer of free often green sepals, the inner of free variously coloured (often white) petals" (including our Orders 52–55); II Corolliferae, in which the combined whorls of the perianth resemble the corolla of the Dicotyledones (including our Orders 56–59, 62–67); III Glumiflorae, in which the perianth is much reduced or absent (including our Orders 60, 61, 68, 69).
- 2. MONOCOTYLEDONES
- Embryonic plant with 1 cotyledon. Plants herbaceous to woody. Vascular bundles of stem us. scattered (in cross section). Lvs mainly with longitudinal venation. Fls mostly trimerous.
- 52. JUNCAGINALES.
- Annual or perennial rhizomatous marsh herbs with small, bisexual to unisexual fls in racemes or spikes without bracts. Per. 6- or 3-merous. Stamens 6–1 on very short filaments, anthers extrorse. Carpels 6–1, free or connate and superior. Seed without endosperm. Lvs mostly radical, with open sheaths at base.
- JUNCAGINACEAE: 1.
- 53. APONOGETONALES.
- Fresh-water or marine rhizomatous perennials with small, bisexual or unisexual fls in secund, simple or forked spikes, free or ± enclosed in lf-sheath, lacking bracts. Per.-segs 3–1 or absent. Stamens 1–6 or more. Ovary 1 or if more apocarpous; ovules 1 or more. Seed without endosperm. Lvs oblong to linear, sheathing at base.
- ZOSTERACEAE: 1.
- 54. POTAMOGETONALES.
- Fresh-water or marine rhizomatous perennials with small, bisexual or unisexual fls in spikes or solitary, without bracts. Per.-segs 3–4 or 0. Stamens 4–1; filaments very short; anthers 2-locular, extrorse. Carpels free or 1; ovule solitary, pend. or lateral. Fr. indehiscent. Seed without endosperm. Lvs linear to orbicular; sheath often ligule-like above.
- POTAMOGETONACEAE: 1, RUPPIACEAE: 1.
- 55. NAJADALES.
- Fresh-water or marine submerged annuals or perennials with minute unisexual fls, solitary or grouped. Per. of small scales or 0. Stamens 1–3; anthers mostly sessile, 1–4-locular. Carpels free or 1; ovule 1. Fr. indehiscent. Seed without endosperm. Lvs sheathing at base.
- ZANNICHELLIACEAE: 2.
- 56. LILIALES.
- Herbs with rhizomes, corms or bulbs and us. bisexual, sts large and brightly coloured fls. Per. almost or quite actinomorphic, mostly petaloid. Stamens us. 6, opp. per.-segs. Ovary superior, occ. semi-inferior, us. 3-locular with axile placentae. Fr. a capsule or berry. Seed with cop. endosperm. Lvs clustered near base or extending up stem, occ. reduced.
- LILIACEAE: 8, SMILACACEAE: 1.
- 57. ALSTROEMERIALES.
- Rhizomatous herbs, shrubs or climbers with bisexual, solitary or clustered, often showy fls. Per. almost or quite actinomorphic; per.-segs 6, all or 5 similar, free or partly connate. Stamens 6, free or partly connate. Ovary superior or us. inferior, 3-locular with axile placentae or 1-locular with parietal placentae. Fr. a capsule or berry. Seed with cop. endosperm. Lvs alt., linear to ovate; petiole sts twisted to reverse surfaces.
- PHILESIACEAE: 1.
- 58. AGAVALES.
- Perennials with thick, sts trunk-like stem and bisexual to unisexual, bracteate fls often small and in panicles. Per. dry to fleshy; segs ± alike. Stamens 6, anthers 2-locular, opening inwardly or laterally. Ovary superior or inferior, 3- or 1-locular; placentae axile or parietal. Fr. a capsule or berry. Seed with endosperm. Lvs us. crowded at base or apex, often large.
- AGAVACEAE: 2.
- 59. ARALES.
- Herbs, rarely woody and climbing, or aquatic, with very small bisexual or unisexual fls us. on a spike ± enclosed in a large spathe. Per. small or absent. Stamens free or united. Ovary superior. Fr. us. a berry. Seed with cop. endosperm. Lvs crowded, alt., or absent.
- LEMNACEAE: 3.
- 60. JUNCALES.
- Herbs with bisexual or unisexual fls. Per. actinomorphic, in 2 whorls of 6–3 free glumaceous tepals, or absent. Stamens 6, or 3–1. Ovary superior, 1–3-locular; ovules 1–. Fr. a capsule or nut. Seed with minute embryo and cop. endosperm. Lvs narrow, often grass-like, or terete, or thread-like, sheathing or rarely non-sheathing, or reduced to sheaths only. Fls mostly wind-pollinated.
- JUNCACEAE: 4, CENTROLEPIDACEAE: 3, RESTIONACEAE: 3 (Sporadanthus).
- 61. TYPHALES.
- Rhizomatous aquatic or marsh herbs with very small or minute unisexual fls in crowded clusters or dense spikes. Per. much reduced. Stamens 2 or more. Ovary 1-locular; ovule 1, pend. Seed with mealy endosperm. Lvs long-linear, sheathing at base.
- TYPHACEAE: 1, SPARGANIACEAE: 1.
- 62. IRIDALES.
- Herbs with rhizomes, corms or bulbs and us. bisexual, often showy fls. Per. actinomorphic or zygomorphic, petaloid. Stamens 3, opp. outer per.-segs. Ovary inferior, 1- or 3-locular; style-arms often divided, sts petaloid; ovules us. , anatropous. Fr. a capsule. Seed with cop. endosperm. Lvs crowded near base, linear, flattened at sides, sheathing and equitant at base.
- IRIDACEAE: 1.
- 63. PALMALES.
- Plants soft to tall and woody, sts climbing, with small, bisexual to unisexual, actinomorphic fls mostly in panicles and us. enclosed in large spathes. Per. biseriate. Stamens us. 6. Ovary superior; carpels free or united; ovule solitary. Fr. a drupe or berry. Seed with endosperm.
- PALMAE: 1.
- 64. PANDANALES.
- Trees or shrubs, often with aerial roots; dioec. Fls minute, in panicles or spadix-like infls with large bracts. Per. rudimentary or 0. Stamens ; filaments free or connate. Ovary superior; adjacent ovaries sts connate in groups; ovules 1–, anatropous. Fr. woody or baccate, sts syncarpous. Seeds minute. Lvs mostly crowded towards top of stem, linear, sheathing at base, often spinulose.
- PANDANACEAE: 1.
- 65. HAEMODORALES.
- Mostly herbs, some trees or shrubs, often with tuberous rhizome or corm. Fls bisexual, solitary or in panicles. Per.-segs in 1 or 2 series, us. connate in tube. Stamens to 6 or occ. 3, free or in bundles. Ovary superior or inferior, 3- or 1-locular, placentae axile or parietal. Seed us. with cop. endosperm. Lvs us. entire, often all radical, often hairy.
- HYPOXIDACEAE: 1.
- 66. BURMANNIALES.
- Small herbs, often saprophytes. Per. tubular, actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Stamens 6 or 3. Ovary inferior, 1–3-locular; ovules very . Seed very small, with little endosperm. Lvs us. reduced.
- BURMANNIACEAE: 1.
- 67. ORCHIDALES.
- Perennial herbs with rhizomes or tuberous roots or root-stock, with zygomorphic, mostly bisexual fls. Per. biseriate, all 6 segs petaloid or outer 3 more sepaloid; middle seg. in each whorl us. different from other 2. Stamens 1 or 2; pollen granular or fused into masses. Ovary inferior, us. 1-locular with very ovules; often twisted through 180 to bring middle petal (labellum) into abaxial position; stigmas borne, with anthers, on a special structure, the column. Seed minute, without endosperm or differentiated embryo. Lvs undivided, often fleshy.
- ORCHIDACEAE: 21 (Aporostylis).
- 68. CYPERALES.
- Herbs with bisexual or unisexual fls, each solitary within a glume-like bract. Per. of scales, bristles or 0. Stamens 3–1. Ovary superior, 1-locular; ovule 1, anatropous. Seed with small embryo and cop. endosperm. Lvs linear, grass-like, sheathing, or reduced to sheaths only.
- CYPERACEAE: 16 (Desmoschoenus).
- 69. GRAMINALES.
