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Characteristics of the Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber or Squash Family):
• Herbaceous vines
• Coiling tendrils for climbing
• Alternate leaves, typically palmately lobed
• Most species have unisexual flowers, meaning individual plants produce either male or female flowers. Some species produce both male and female flowers on the same plant.
• Five petals, often fused
• Fleshy fruits, such as cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squash, and gourds
• Extensive hybridization, leading to a wide array of cultivars with diverse traits, flavors, and appearances.

Check out this Jepson YouTube Video on the Cucurbitaceae.

Jepson key to the Cucurbitaceae

Characteristics of the Scrophulariaceae (the figwort family):
• Growth form: Trees, shrubs, or herbs
• Leaves: Opposite or spiral, simple, without stipules
• Inflorescence: Spike, raceme, or thyrse
• Flowers: Bilaterally symmetrical, superior ovary, 2 or sometimes 3 carpels, axile placentation
• Calyx: Fused sepals, 4-5
• Corolla: Fused petals, usually 5, often bilabiate, sometimes spurred
• Stamens: 2-5, sometimes with staminodes
• Fruit: Capsule, berry, or drupe
• Habitat: Terrestrial or aquatic

Link to Jepson eflora key

Link to video discussing both the Scrophulariaceae and the Plantaginaceae

Plantain or Speedwell Family

Here are some characteristics of the Plantaginaceae:

1. Herbaceous Perennials: Most members lack woody stems and persist for multiple growing seasons.
2. Simple Leaves: Typically simple, often arranged alternately along the stem, vary in size and shape but are often lanceolate or ovate
3. Inflorescence: Spikes, racemes, or panicles. Terminal or arise from the leaf axils.
4. Bisexual Flowers
5. Symmetry: Usually exhibit bilateral symmetry
6. Corolla: Often fused into a tubular shape with four or five lobes at the apex.
7. Superior Ovary
8. Fruit Type: Capsule containing numerous small seeds.
9. Ecological Importance: Food sources for various insects and animals.
10. Habitat Diversity: Wide range of habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, meadows, and disturbed areas.

The family encompasses a wide variety of plants, ranging from common roadside weeds to ornamental garden flowers, and includes species with both medicinal and culinary uses.

Link to Jepson video showing characteristics

Link to Jepson eflora key to Plantaginaceae

The Phrymaceae, or lopseed family, is distinguished by the following:

• Habitat: Diverse, including moist or wet areas such as streambanks, meadows, and woodland areas.
• Leaves: Simple and opposite
• Inflorescence: Spike or raceme, or solitary, axillary flowers
• Flowers: Often bilaterally symmetrical, consist of five united sepals and 5 fused petals
• Stamens: 2-4 and often unequal in length
• Fruits: Capsule, achene, or berry
• Genera: Includes Mimulus and Diplacus

Link to Jepson video

Link to Jepson key to the family

Some characteristics of the Grossulariaceae (current or gooseberry) family:

1. Leaves: Typically alternate and palmately lobed or compound. They may have serrated margins.
2. Flowers: Usually 5 sepals and 5 petals; hypanthium tube exceeding ovary
3. Inflorescence: Raceme or cyme.
4. Fruit: Berry, often with multiple seeds. In some species, the berries are edible and are used to make jams or consumed fresh.
5. Habitat: Forests, meadows, and rocky slopes.
6. Genus: Ribes (currants and gooseberries) is the only genus, as Grossularia is no longer an active genus name. There are 120 species.
7. Culinary Importance: Edible berries.
8. Distribution: Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Link to key to Ribes (Jepson)

The Anacardiaceae, or Cashew Family, has the following characteristics:

• Leaves: Typically alternate, rarely opposite. Usually pinnately compound, sometimes trifoliate.

• Resin Ducts: produce aromatic compounds.

• Inflorescence: Flowers are often arranged in panicles or spikes.

• Flowers: Regular, bisexual, and usually small. Sepals and petals are usually five in number.

• Fruit: Drupe, which is a fleshy fruit with a single seed enclosed by a hard endocarp.

• Toxicity: Some members of the family produce oils that can cause skin irritation. An example is the presence of urushiol in poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.

• Importance to Humans: Many important food plants belong to this family, including cashew (Anacardium occidentale), pistachio (Pistacia vera), and mango (Mangifera indica).

• Distribution: The family is widespread and found in tropical and subtropical regions.

• Genera: California genera in the Anacardiaceae family include Malosma, Rhus, Pistacia, and Toxicodendron.

• Growth forms: The family is diverse, containing trees, perennial herbs, and shrubs.

The Euphorbiaceae family, also known as the spurge family, is characterized by:

1. Latex-producing Plants: the presence of latex, a milky, often toxic sap that is produced by specialized cells called laticifers. The latex serves various ecological purposes, such as deterring herbivores.
2. Alternate Leaves: The leaves are arranged singly along the stem rather than in pairs or whorls.
3. Inflorescence Types: The cyathium is a unique reproductive structure characteristic of the family, consisting of reduced male and female flowers surrounded by specialized bracts.
4. Reduced Flowers: The flowers of Euphorbiaceae are often reduced in size and have a unique structure. The presence of reduced or unisexual flowers is common in this family.
5. Fruit Types: The fruits of Euphorbiaceae plants vary widely and can be capsules, nuts, or fleshy. Some species have explosive fruits that help in seed dispersal.
6. Diversity of Habitats: Euphorbiaceae is a cosmopolitan family found in a variety of habitats, ranging from tropical rainforests to deserts. The family includes both herbaceous and woody plants.
7. Economic Importance: Some members of the Euphorbiaceae family are of economic importance. For example, the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is a source of natural rubber, and castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) produces castor oil.
8. Toxicity: Many plants in the Euphorbiaceae family contain toxic compounds, particularly in their latex. This toxicity is a defense mechanism against herbivores.
9. Ecological Roles: Euphorbiaceae plants often play important roles in their ecosystems. Some species are pioneer plants, colonizing disturbed areas, while others are important components of diverse plant communities.

The family contains over 7,500 species. As with any large plant family, there is considerable variation among its members.

Link to the key in the Jepson manual.

Video showing characteristics of the Euphorbiaceae.

The Asteraceae family, also known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family, is one of the largest and most diverse plant families, comprising over 32,000 species. Here are some defining characteristics:

1. Inflorescence: Flowers are arranged in compact clusters known as heads or capitula. Each head may appear as a single flower, but it is actually a cluster of many small flowers grouped together on a common receptacle.
2. Bracts: The base of the flower head is surrounded by a set of specialized leaves called bracts. These bracts often resemble petals and play a role in attracting pollinators. The arrangement of bracts can be important in distinguishing different genera or species within the family.
3. Flower structure: Each flower head typically consists of two types of flowers—central disk flowers and outer ray flowers. The disk flowers are tubular and found in the center, while the ray flowers have a strap-shaped structure and radiate outward. However, some species may lack one of these types.
4. Fruit: The fruits are often achenes, which are small, dry, one-seeded fruits. A characteristic feature is the presence of a pappus—a structure attached to the seed that aids in wind dispersal.
5. Alternate leaves: The leaves are usually alternate, meaning they are arranged along the stem in a staggered fashion. The leaves may be simple or compound.
6. Milky latex: Many species in the Asteraceae family produce a milky latex when injured. This latex can be a defensive mechanism against herbivores.
7. Habitat: Members of the Asteraceae family are found in a wide range of habitats, from arctic tundra to tropical rainforests, and from deserts to alpine meadows.
8. Economic importance: The family includes many economically important plants, such as sunflowers (Helianthus), daisies (Bellis), marigolds (Tagetes), and chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum). Some species are cultivated for ornamental purposes, while others are important food crops or sources of medicinal compounds.

Jepson Herbarium video showing characteristics of the family.

Key to the Asteraceae.

The Solanaceae, commonly known as the nightshade family, includes many economically important and widely cultivated species. Some of the defining characteristics of the Solanaceae:

1. Alkaloids: Many produce alkaloids, which are nitrogen-containing compounds that often have pharmacological effects. Examples include nicotine in tobacco, atropine in belladonna, and solanine in potatoes.
2. Alternate leaves: may be simple or compound.
3. Inflorescence: cymes or umbels.
4. Five-lobed corolla: flowers with five petals and five sepals
5. Stamens: five.
6. Superior ovary: positioned above the attachment of other floral parts.
7. Fruit type: berries (e.g., tomatoes), capsules (e.g., tobacco), and other types.
8. Economic importance: tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), bell peppers (Capsicum annuum), and eggplants (Solanum melongena). Additionally, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is a member of this family.
9. Herbaceous or woody habit: Tomatoes and potatoes are herbaceous, while some trees, like certain species of Brugmansia, are woody.

Video showing characteristics of the Solanaceae.

Jepson key to the Solanaceae.