Balsaminaceae A family with two genera and more than 1000 species belonging to Impatiens and single to Hydrocera
The Plants are annual or perennial herbs, rarely undershrubs, somewhat succulent and sometimes rooting at nodes; leaves simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, without stipules but with often with glands at base of petiole; leaf margine entire or serrate, teeth sometimes gland-tipped; flowers bisexual, in racemes or umbel-like clusters, rarely solitary, zygomorphic; sepals usually 3, rarely 5, lateral sepals free or connate, lower sepal large, petaloid, constricted back into a shortl or long, straight or curved spur, rarely without spur; petals 5, free; upper petaloften crested; lateral petals usually united in pairs; stamens 5, often connate; carpels 4-5, united, 4-5 locules; style short with 1-5 stigmas; fruit a berry or a capsule opening elastically and explosively dispersing the seeds. Genera *Impatiens* *Hydrocera* There are numerous species in India, often difficult to identify. Members are requested to focus on the following characters while uploading photographs for identification: 1. Height of plant 2. Leaves alternate, opposite or in whorls 3. Leaf margin, especially glands on teeth tips 4. Glands at base of petiole 5. Flower size and colour or shades 6. Inflorescence type, racemen, umbellate cluster or solitary 7. size, form of spur, straight or curved, nature of tip 8. Form of lateral fused petals 9. shape and size of fruit 10. Fruit erect, horizontal or erect. Geraniaceae A family with seven genera nearly 750 species mainly distributed in Temperate and subtropical regions. The plants are usually herbs, rarely undershrubs, sometimes aromatic (Pelargonium), stems swollen at nodes, usually with stalked glandular hairs. Leaves alternate or opposite, simple or palmately lobed, or compound, venation palmate, reticulate, stipules conspicuous. Inflorescence cymose umbel, rarely solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic (Pelargonium), hypogynous, pentamerous. Calyx with 5 sepals, free, green, persistent, sometimes spurred (Pelargonium). Corolla with 5 petals, rarely 4 or absent, free, often clawed, imbricate, nectar glands alternating with petals or absent. Androecium with 10 (Geranium) or 15 (Monsonia) stamens, rarely 5 (other 5 sterile-Erodium), usually connate at base, sometimes pentadelphous (Monsonia), rarely free, anthers bithecous, dehiscence by longitudinal slits, pollen grains tricolpate or triporate. Gynoecium with 5 united carpels, ovary superior, usually lobed, placentation axile, ovules usually 2 in each loculus, anatropous or campylotropous, style 1, slender and beaklike. Fruit a capsular dehiscent schizocarp with 5 1-seeded segments that separate elastically from central column, and often opening to release seeds (Geranium), or indehiscent schizocarp (Biebersteinia); seeds usually without aril, pendulous, embryo curved, endosperm usually absent or scanty. Pollination by insects. Mostly self dispersed by explosive opening of schizocarps throwing seeds several metres away. Genera expected *Geranium* *Pelargonium* *Erodium * *Monsonia* * * The members are requested to take care of following features while uploading the plants for identification: 1. Habit annual or perennial 2. Leaf circular or angular in outline, and number of lobes 3. Number of flowers in a cluster 4. Size of flower (diameter) 5. The length of sepal awn 6. length of beak Oxalidaceae Family with 8 genera and more than 800 genera mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs or trees, sometimes stemless with all basal leaves; leaves alternate or whorled; palmately or palmately compound, leaflets entire, often folded together at night ; flowers in racemes, umbellate clusters or solitary, bisexual, actinomorphic; sepals free or connate at base; petals 5, usually free; stamens 10, in two whorls, outer whorl opposite the petals, with shorter filamens, filaments connate at base; carpels fused, 5, 5-chambered with 2-many ovules in each chamber; styles free; fruit a capsule or berry; seeds with aril. Genera expected in India *Oxalis* *Biophytum * *Averrhoa* * * While uploading the photographs for identification members are requested to focus on the following characters 1. Plants stemless, bulbous or aerial and branched 2, shape and size of leaflets, presence or absence of hairs especially along leaf margins, nature of tip of leaflets 3. Number of leaflets in Averrhoa and Biophytum 4. Colour of petals, especially throat if different in colour 5. size of flowers 6. Inflorescence (solitary flowers or umbellate clusters) 7. Shape and size of fruit. *DR. SANTOSH KUMAR HAS KINDLY AGREED TO OVERSEE THE UPLOADS IN FAMILY OXALIDACEAE. WE SHOULD EXPECT EXCITING INFORMATION FROM HIM* -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
