Notes November 4 (Th)

• Flowers pentamerous
• Petals fused
• Leaves simple (but Ipomoea quamoclit has finely dissected leaves)
• Corolla usually funnelform or salverform
• 5 stamens, epipetalous
• Single (compound) pistil
• Ovary superior
• Style one or two
• Fruit a capsule

• The most important plant family, economically (food sources)
• Stems ("culms") are round in cross-section, and typically hollow
• Leaves with basal sheath, homologous to petiole. Sheath is split longitudinally down the middle.
• Leaf blade
• "Ligule" between blade and sheath: often a thin membranous structure, or a series of hairs.
• Flowers highly reduced, no sepals, no petals.
• Flowers usually perfect (and plants synoecious) but some species have imperfect flowers (ex. Zea mays, corn, is monoecious)
• Flowers are maintained within "spikelets". The spikelet is the basic unit of the grass inflorescence.
• Generalized spikelet morphology includes a series of distichous, scale-like structures which embrace the flowers.
• Glumes (usually 2, sometimes only one, sometimes not present) at base of spikelet
• Lemma and palea embrace the flower
• Ovary made up of two carpels
• Single ovule within
• Matured ovary becomes fruit, or grain (= caryopsis)