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Mostly herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves pinnate or palmate to trifoliolate or apparently simple. Corolla usually, showy, zygomorphic, the petals imbricate, posterior (upper or banner) petal outermost in bud. Stamens 10 or 9 + 1 (diadelphous), not showy. Pollen released in monads. Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) lacking. [Carr]

Taxonomy

Genera

Abies

Trees evergreen, crown usually spirelike to conic, sometimes flat to round topped in age. Bark initially thin, smooth, bearing resin blisters, in age furrowed and/or flaking in plates. Branches whorled, irregular internodal branches occasionally produced by epicormic sprouting (growing from a dormant bud) ; short (spur) shoots absent; leaf scars prominent, ± circular to broadly elliptic, flush with twig surface, slightly depressed, or slightly raised evenly all around. Buds ovate or oblong, resinous or not, apex rounded or pointed. Leaves borne singly, persisting 5 or more years, spirally arranged but often proximally twisted so as to appear either 1-ranked (pointing up like toothbrush bristles) or 2-ranked, sessile, typically constricted and often twisted above the somewhat broadened base, sheath absent; leaves on vegetative branches flattened, frequently grooved adaxially, usually notched to rounded at apex; leaves on fertile branches sometimes appearing 4-sided, upright, sharp-pointed to rounded at apex; resin canals 2. Cones borne on year-old twigs. Pollen cones grouped, ovate or oblong-cylindric, leaving gall-like protuberances after falling, yellow to red, green, blue, or purple. Seed cones maturing in 1 season, erect, ovoid to oblong-cylindric or cylindric, not falling whole but scale by scale, cone axis persisting as an erect "spike" on branch; scales shed individually, fan-shaped, lacking apophysis and umbo; bracts included to exserted. Seeds winged, the wing-seed juncture bearing resin sac; cotyledons 4--10. x =12.^[1] [more]

At least 527 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Abies.

More info about the Genus Abies may be found here.

Abronia

Herbs, annual or perennial, sometimes cespitose or appearing acaulescent, usually viscid-pubescent, from slender to stout taproot (extensively rhizomatous in Abronia bolackii). Stems prostrate to erect, unarmed, without glutinous bands on internodes. Leaves usually basal and cauline (all basal in A. bigelovii and A. nana), unequal in each pair, petiolate; blade ± thick and succulent, base usually asymmetric. Inflorescences axillary (appearing scapose in A. bigelovii and A. nana), pedunculate, capitate clusters, with peripheral flowers usually opening first; receptacle slightly rounded to conic, without pedicel-like projections; bracts persistent, not accrescent, 5-10, distinct, forming involucre, lanceolate to broadly ovate, thinly papery or scarious, translucent, occasionally thin and green. Flowers bisexual, chasmogamous; perianth radially symmetric, funnelform or salverform, constricted distal to ovary, abruptly expanded to 5-lobed limb; stamens 5-9, included; styles included; stigmas linear. Fruits winged or not, usually fusiform or turbinate, in profile rhombic, cordate, or obdeltate, coriaceous, glabrate to viscid puberulent; wings 2-5, opaque, subtly veined, not or only slightly extending beyond apex or base of body, distal margins sometimes dilated and flattened, broader than lamina, interior hollow, forming cavity, or filled with spongy tissue; sulci smooth or slightly rugose.^[2] [more]

At least 134 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Abronia.

More info about the Genus Abronia may be found here.

Abrus

Abrus is a genus of 13–18 species in the family Fabaceae, best known for one species, Abrus precatorius, Jequirity. The seeds of that species are used in beading and are infamous for their toxicity. [more]

At least 43 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Abrus.

More info about the Genus Abrus may be found here.

Abutilon

Herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, or small trees. Stipules usually caducous; leaf blade usually entire (lobed in A. pictum), palmately veined, base cordate, margin crenate or serrate. Flowers axillary or subterminal, solitary, paired or in small cymes, often aggregated into terminal panicles. Epicalyx absent. Calyx campanulate, lobes 5. Corolla mostly yellow or orange (red in A. roseum), often with dark center, campanulate to wheel-shaped, rarely ± tubular (A. pictum) ; petals 5, basally connate and adnate to filament tube. Anthers many, clustered at filament tube apex. Ovary (5-) 7-20-loculed; ovules 2-9 per carpel; style branches as many as carpels. Fruit a schizocarp, often blackish when mature, subglobose to hemispherical; mericarps (5-) 7-20, eventually dehiscent, apex rounded or acute, sometimes 2-awned, pericarp leathery. Seeds reniform, glabrous or slightly pubescent.^[3] [more]

At least 855 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Abutilon.

More info about the Genus Abutilon may be found here.

Acacia

Trees, shrubs, rarely herbs, often prickly or spinose. Leaves bipinnate; leaflets small and numerous or leaves reduced to phyllodes; petiolar glands often present; stipules generally spinescent. Inflorescence cylindric spike or globose head; peduncle solitary axillary or fasciculate or paniculate at the end of branches; bracts often two, scale like, situated on the peduncle at various levels. Flowers small, 3-5-merous, bisexual or plants polygamous. Calyx campanulate, dentate, lobed or polysepalous. Petals usually more or less united, rarely absent. Stamens indefinite, free or shortly and irregularly connate at the base; anthers small, eglandular. Ovary sessile or stipitate, with 2 or more ovules. Fruit ovate to linear, straight, arcuate or contorted, membranous to woody, rarely articulated or moniliform. Seed large, with a filiform funicle or fleshy aril.^[4] [more]

At least 2,930 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Acacia.

More info about the Genus Acacia may be found here.

Acantholyda

At least 31 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Acantholyda.

More info about the Genus Acantholyda may be found here.

Acer

At least 2,652 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Acer.

More info about the Genus Acer may be found here.

Aconitum

Herbs, perennial, from tubers or elongate, fascicled roots. Leaves basal and cauline, proximal leaves petiolate, distal leaves sessile or nearly so; cauline leaves alternate. Leaf blade palmately divided into 3-7 segments, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic or lanceolate to linear, margins incised and toothed. Inflorescences terminal, sometimes also axillary, 1-32(-more) racemes or panicles, to 28 cm; bracts leaflike, not forming involucre. Flowers bisexual, bilaterally symmetric; sepals not persistent in fruit; lower sepals (pendents) 2, plane, 6-20 mm; lateral sepals 2, round-reniform; upper sepal (hood) 1, saccate, arched, crescent-shaped or hemispheric to rounded-conic or tall and cylindric, usually beaked, 10-50 mm; petals 2, distinct, bearing near apex a capitate to coiled spur, concealed in hood, long-clawed; nectary present, on spur; stamens 25-50; filaments with base expanded; staminodes absent between stamens and pistils; pistils 3(-5), simple; ovules 10-20 per pistil; style present. Fruits follicles, aggregate, sessile, oblong, sides prominently transversely veined; beak terminal, straight, 2-3 mm. Seeds deltoid, usually with small, transverse, membranous lamellae. x =8.^[5] [more]

At least 1,276 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Aconitum.

More info about the Genus Aconitum may be found here.

Acrocarpus

At least 9 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Acrocarpus.

More info about the Genus Acrocarpus may be found here.

Adenophora

Adenophora is a genus of flowering plant within the family Campanulaceae. [more]

At least 288 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Adenophora.

More info about the Genus Adenophora may be found here.

Adiantum

Plants terrestrial or on rock. Stems short- to long-creeping or suberect, branched; scales deep tawny yellow to dark reddish brown [black], concolored or bicolored, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, margins entire, erose-ciliate, or minutely dentate. Leaves monomorphic to somewhat dimorphic, densely clustered to closely spaced [distant], 15--110 cm. Petiole chestnut brown to dark purple or blackish, with single groove adaxially, glabrous, hispid, or strigose, with 1 or 2 vascular bundles. Blade lanceolate, ovate, trowel-shaped, or fan-shaped, 1--4(--9) -pinnate proximally, membranaceous to papery, both surfaces commonly glabrous (2 species with scattered hairs), adaxially dull or shiny, not striate; rachis straight or flexuous. Ultimate segments subsessile to short-stalked (stalks terminating in cupulelike swelling at base of pinna in A. tenerum ), round, fan-shaped, rhombic, or oblong, 3--29 mm wide; base truncate to cuneate, free from costa; stalk dark, often lustrous; fertile segments with marginal lobes recurved to form false indusia. Veins of ultimate segments conspicuous, free, ± dichotomously forking near base and well above segment base [anastomosing in a few tropical species], parallel distally. False indusia light gray-green or brown to dark brown, narrow, 0.6--1 mm wide, marginal, concealing sporangia until sporangia dehisce. Sporangia submarginal, borne along or sometimes also between veins on abaxial surface of false indusium, paraphyses and glands absent. Spores yellow or yellowish brown, tetrahedral-globose, trilete, rugulate to rugose or tuberculate, equatorial ridge absent. x = 29, 30.^[6] [more]

At least 976 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Adiantum.

More info about the Genus Adiantum may be found here.

Aeschynomene

Herbs or shrubs. Leaves pinnate, leaflets numerous, entire, exstipellate. Flowers in simple or branched axillary racemes, sometimes terminal. Bracts usually stipuliform, bracteoles appressed to the calyx. Calyx with subequal lobes or 2-lipped. Petals subequal; vexillum shortly clawed, orbicular, wings obliquely obovate or oblong, Keel not beaked. Stamens in 2 bundles of 5 each, anthers uniform. Ovary stipitate, 2 or more ovulate, style incurved, not bearded. Stigma terminal. Fruit stipitate, joints 2 or more, smooth or muricate, indehiscent, 1-seeded parts separable or rarely dehiscent by one suture.^[7] [more]

At least 346 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Aeschynomene.