Name: Koreen C.

Bayani Date Performed: April 29, 2019

Course: BS Biology I Date Submitted: May 2, 2019

EXERCISE 23
Eudicots: Rosales and Brassicales
Introduction
In eudicots, some important orders are Rosales and Brassicales. Rosales is an order of
flowering plants. It is sister to a clade consisting of Fagales and Cucurbitales. It contains about
7700 species, distributed into about 260 genera. Rosales has eleven constituent families which
common families such as Moraceae, Rosaceae, Ulmaceae and Urticaceae belong to. Rosaceae is
well developed in the temperate countries and in the higher altitudes of tropical countries. The rest
of the common families are well developed in the tropical world.

Meanwhile, the Brassicales are order of flowering plants, belonging to the eurosids II group
of dicotyledons under the APG II system. It has fifteen families. The most common are
Brassicaceae, Caricaceae and Moringaceae. Rosales and Brassicales are both economically
important to man. They are either food or ornamental.

Objectives
The objectives of the exercise were to observe the different variation exhibited by
representatives of the three orders of Rosales and Brassicales. The students also sought to construct
a dichotomous key to the families under the orders studied in the exercise and make an illustration
for each representative with complete labels.

Procedures
In the lab exercise, the fresh specimens of Rosales and Brassicales were obtained. Due to
the unavailability of some specimens, pictures were taken from the Internet.

In characterizing the orders, a table was constructed which include their key characteristics.
This was to identify the different variation exhibited by each order. In addition, a table of
taxonomic character for each family of the three orders as observed in the laboratory specimens
was also made and filled out with necessary information.
Based on the results from the table, a dichotomous key to the families under the three orders
studied in this exercise was made. The specimens obtained were also illustrated and labelled
completely.
Results and Discussion
In this section, the observations for each specimen of the different orders were recorded
and illustrated.

Table 1. Key characteristics of Rosales and Brassicales

Character Rosales Brassicales

1. Plant habit Tree/Shrub Herb/Shrub

2. Plant type (monoecious,

Monoecious/Dioecious Monoecious
or dioecious, etc.)

3. Leaf type Alternate; opposite Alternate; simple

4. Flower characteristics Raceme; actinomorphic Raceme; actinomorphic

Drupe; berry; aggregate of

5. Fruit morphology Siliqua
achenes and berries

6. Seed size/shape Small Ex – albuminous

7. Other characteristics
-- --
(aromatic, etc.)

In the table above, the key characteristics of the order Rosales and Brassicales were
presented. The characteristics mentioned were their plant habit, plant type, leaf type, leaf shape,
flower characteristics, fruit morphology, seed size/shape, special seed characteristics and other
characteristics.
 Table 2. Key characteristics of representative families of order Rosales and Brassicales

Characteristics
Representative Seed
Flower Fruit
families Plant habit Leaf type characteristi
characteristics morphology
c
Drupe; berry;
Herb/Shrub/ Alternate; Raceme; aggregate of Small; no
Rosaceae
Tree simple actinomorphic achenes and endosperm
berries
Simple; Solitary; No or scanty
Ulmaceae Tree/Shrub Samara; Drupe
distichous unisexual endsoperm
Dry one –
seeded fruit;
Usually Unisexual;
Urticaceae Herb enclosed by Endospermic
entire hypognous
outer whorl of
flower cluster
Alternate; Raceme; Ex –
Brassicaceae Herb/Shrub Siliqua
simple actinomorphic albuminous
Alternate; Oval; smooth
Tree/ Shrub; Actinomorphic;
Caricaceae simple; Berry or tubule or
rarely herb hypogynous
petioled spiny

Cymose; Winged or
Alternate;
Moringaceae Tree zygomorphic or Capsule not;
compound
actinomorphic endospermic

Drupe;
Unisexual;
Alternate; Multiple of Non –
Moraceae Tree/Shrub hypogynous or
simple achenes and endospermic
epigynous
berries

The table above shows key characteristics of representative families of the orders Rosaceae
Ulmaceae, Urticaceae, Brassicaceae, Caricaceae, Moringaceae and Moraceae. The representative
families provided in the lab manuals were described through their plant habit, leaf type, flower
characteristics, fruit morphology, and seed characteristics.
1. Plant habit
1a. Tree….……………………………………….Moringaceae
1b. Shrub ………………………………………. Urticaceae
1c. Trees/Shrub/Herb……………………………2
2. Leaf type
2a. Simple ………………………………………3
2b. Compound ………………………………….1a
3. Flower Characteristics
3a. Actinomorphic ………………………………4
3b. Not actinomorphic …………………………. Moraceae
4. Fruit Morphology
4a. Drupe/Berry………………………………….5
4b. Not drupe/berry ……………………………..Brassicaceae
5. Seed type
5a. Endospermic…………………………………Ulmaceae
5b. Non – endospermic…………………………..Rosaceae

Figure 1. Dichotomous key to the families under the different orders

 Table 3. Specimen

Specimen Sketch
Moraceae

Common name: Breadfruit

Scientific name: Artocarpus altilis

Common name: Jackfruit

Scientific name: A. heterophyllus

Scientific name: Ficus septica

 Scientific name: F. ulmifolia

Scientific name: F. variegate

Common name: Niyog – niyogan

Scientific name: F. pseudopalma
 Common name: Sandpaper tree
Scientific name: Streblus asper

Common name: Paper mulberry

Scientific name: Broussonetia papyrifera
Rosaceae

Common name: Dog rose

Scientific name: Rosa canina
 Ulmaceae

Common name: Charcoal tree

Scientific name: Trema orientalis
Urticaceae

Common name: Rockweed

Scientific name: Pilea microphylla
Brassicaceae

Common name: Field mustard

Scientific name: Brassica rapa
 Caricaceae

Common name: Papaya

Scientific name: Carica papaya
Moringaceae

Common name: Malunggay

Scientific name: Moringa oleifera
Study Questions
1. Enumerate species under Urticaceae and Ulmaceae that produce root nodules. Of what
importance are these non-legume nodulating plants?

Root nodules is a swelling on the root of aleguminous plant capable of nitrogen fixation.
Species such as Poikilospermum sp. (Urticaceae) and Ulmus laciniata (Ulmaceae) produce root
nodules. Plants that possess root nodules increase soil fertility by increasing the nitrate content of
the soil.

2. Discuss why the genera Cannabis and Humulus, now in Cannabaceae, have been
removed from the family Moraceae?

Cannabis and Humulus are known to be closely related genera which have similar smell
and test properties could indicate a common ancestry. They have been removed from the family
Moraceae because after a group of plants and molecular biologist in the US and UK (2002) tested
and analyse properties of these genera, it was confirmed after comparing sequences of rbcL, trnL-
F, ndhF, and matK DNA regions that Cannabis and Humulus were very closely related that belongs
to Cannabinaceae.

3. Identify 10 important economic uses of Rosales and Brassicales.

The order Brassicales includes many plants of economic importance such as cabbage,
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, turnip, and rutabaga. Other important
agricultural crops in the family include horseradish, radish, and white mustard. A number of
species—such as Matthiola incana (Brompton stock), Hesperis matronalis (dame’s rocket), and
Erysimum cheiri (formerly Cheiranthus cheiri, the wallflower) —are grown as ornamentals.
The order Rosales includes some of the best-known ornamental and edible-fruit plants in
the temperate parts of the world. In addition to roses, Rosales includes elms, spireas, hawthorns,
apples, peaches, cherries, pears, plums, strawberries, raspberries, and figs.

Conclusion
The order Rosales are generally woody plants, mostly shrubs or small to medium-size trees,
some of which are armed with thorns, spines, or prickles to discourage herbivores. Most members
of Rosales have alternate leaves, with opposite leaves being found in a very few species. Small
leaflike structures called stipules are routinely present at the base of the leaf stalks. It also has wide
diversity of fruit types. Many have dry fruits that split open at maturity to release the seeds for
dispersal; follicles come from one simple carpel. Some dry fruits in the family do not open at
maturity, examples being the achenes of some members of the rose subfamily. Fleshy fruits are
frequent in the family.
 The Brassicales are order of flowering plants, belonging to the eurosids II group of
dicotyledons under the APG II system. It has fifteen families. The most common are Brassicaceae,
Caricaceae and Moringaceae. Rosales and Brassicales are both economically important to man as
they contribute either as food or ornamental.

References
https://www.britannica.com/plant/Brassicaceae
https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rosales
https://www.encyclopedia.com/earth-and-environment/ecology-and-
environmentalism/environmental-studies/root-nodule
https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rosales/Characteristic-morphological-features