Floral Formula Of Family Solanaceae: Diagram & Scientific Classification

The Solanaceae family is often referred to as the potato family. It is a family of angiosperms. The plants of this family grow everywhere in the world, from the temperate zone to the tropical zone. It includes vegetables, medicinal plants, a number of spices and agricultural crops, and others. Moreover, the floral formula constitutes the floral symmetry, ovary position, number of parts, insertion, connotation, and adnation of a flower. Before discussing the floral formula of Solanaceae, let’s first have a recap of what is a floral formula and all the terms related to the floral formula.

Key Terms : Floral Formula, Solanaceae, flowers, stamens, calyx, root system

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What is Floral Formula?

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A floral formula is a symbolic representation of a specific flower of a particular family. In a floral formula, a variety of symbols are used each of which has biological meaning. A floral formula, in brief, tells about the family to which the flower belongs.

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Terms and Symbols used in a Floral Formula

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• Firstly, whether the flower is bracteate, ebracteate, or bracteaolate is shown by an appropriate symbol.
• The flower’s symmetry is then expressed using the position of the floral whorls in relation to the mother axis. Flowers can be organized in a variety of ways, including poly symmetric (actinomorphic), dissymmetric, monosymmetric (zygomorphic), asymmetric, and spirally. As a result, particular symbols in the floral formula are used to identify flowers with differing symmetry.
• The flower’s sex is then represented to indicate whether the flower is heterosexual or bisexual.
• Then, sequentially various floral parts are symbolised starting from calyx, corolla, androecium and ending with gynoecium.
• If a particular floral part (from the ones mentioned above) is unified together then the letter symbolizing it is written within brackets. While if it is free then no brackets are used. Drawing a curve from the top of the letters represents adnation between the floral whorls.
• A line is drawn above, below or in front of the letter ‘G’ to depict the position of the ovary.

Also read: Asexual Reproduction

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Scientific Classification of Solanaceae

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• Kingdom: Plantae

• Subkingdom: Tracheobionta

• Super Division: Spermatophyta

• Division: Magnoliophyta

• Class: Magnoliopsida

• Subclass: Asteridae

• Order: Solanales

• Family: Solanaceae

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Floral Formula of Family Solanaceae

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The flower is bracteate or ebracteolate, actinomorphic (radial) and bisexual. The other floral parts-

• Calyx- sepals 5 in number, gamosepallous (united)

• Corolla – 5 petals, gamopetallous

• Androecium- 5 stamens, polyandrous (free) epipetalous (attached to petals)

• Gynoecium- bicarpellary ( two carpels), syncarpous (united) superior ovary.

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Characteristics of Family Solanaceae

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1. Solanaceae family consists of a variety of herbs, shrubs and also small trees.

2. This family consists of 90 groups and about 3000 species.

3. They have a tap root system with regular branching.

4. The stem is aerial, branched, erect, mostly herbaceous, cylindrical, hairy or glabrous.

5. The leaves are simple alternate with reticulate venation. Sometimes the leaves are transformed into spines.

6. They exhibit entomophilous pollination (pollinated by insects).

7. They are propagated in the form of seeds or fruits (dehisced or intact).

8. Axillary or cymose type of inflorescence. The flowers can be present either singly or in groups.

9. Flower is either Bracteate or ebracteolate, actinomorphic, and generally hermaphrodite. The flower is pentamerous and hypogynous.

10. The fruit formation in members of the Solanaceae family takes place either in the form of fruits, as in tomatoes and capsicum, or in the form of berries, as in Lycium and datura.

11. Seeds are mostly endospermic. The seed is curved or straight and bears two cotyledons.

Also read: difference between radicle and plumule

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Economic Importance of Family Solanaceae

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The family Solanaceae is a family of many plants which have high nutritional and medicinal value. Some of these plants are used for the ornamental purpose as well.

1. The fruits and products of many of these plants are consumed as vegetables all around the world, e.g, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, capsicum and etc.

2. The plants of Solanaceae have many medicinal uses and are used in the treatment of various disorders. These plants give many alkaloids which are beneficial but some are toxic too. Some of the important alkaloids are tropane, nicotine, capsaicin, solanine, hyoscyamine, etc. Attropa belladonna, Withania somnifera (ashwagandha), and Datura are used as medicines. Tobacco is another commercially important plant of this family.

3. Some of their flowers are used as ornaments. E.g- Lycium, Petunia, Cestrum, Attropa, Solanum, etc.

Also read:  Economic Importance of Solanaceae

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Things to Remember

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• The floral formula of a flower gives a detailed information about the symmetry, sex, and the types and shapes of the floral parts.

• It is a symbolic representation written in the form of an equation where each symbol carries a specific meaning.

• Flowers of Family Solanaceae are usually bracteate or ebracteolate, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, and hypogynous.

• There are 5 sepal (gamosepallous) and 5 petals (gamopetallous).

• In the Androecium, there are 5 stamens which are polyandrous and attached to the petals.

• In the gynoecium, there are two carpels which are syncarpous and the ovary is superior.

• Datura, Attropa belladonna, Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) are used in medicines. While potato, eggplant, capsicum and tomatoes are consumed as food. Flowers of Lycium and Solanum are used as ornaments and decorative items in many other ceremonies and rituals.

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