The Brassicaceae family includes 375 genera and 3200 species that are widely distributed but most abundant in temperate regions. Some common plants in the family are mustards, cabbages, radishes, and turnips. Plants can be herbaceous annuals or biennials and are cultivated for food, spices, oils, or ornamental purposes. Flowers are tetramerous and cruciform with 4 sepals, 4 petals, 6 stamens in a tetradynamous arrangement, and a superior bicarpellate ovary. The family has economic importance as a source of vegetables, oils, spices, and some medicinal and ornamental plants.
1. Brassicaceae
Cruciferae
( The mustard family )
Classification:
Class : Dicotyledons (two cootyledons)
Sub class : polypetalae ( Free petals)
Series : Thalmiflorae ( superior ovary)
Order : parietales ( paritalplacentation)
Family : Brassicaceae = cruciferae
Sheetal
Roll no. 202128
Bec medical 2nd year
2. Distribution :
• 375 genera and 3200 species widely distributed but most abundant
in temperate and cold part of world.
• Common plants :
• Brassica. Compestris ( Mustard)
4. Vegitative Characters:
• Habit : herb or Annual and shurb or biennial plants . They are cultivated for
ornamental economic purposes.
• Root : Tap Root , swollen on account of stored food materials. It may
be conical in Radish or fusiform in Turnip or shalgum.
• Stem : Herbaceous,erect, cylindrical.
rarely woody and reduced ( Radish or Turnip)
• Leaves : Alternate , sub-opposite , usually covered with hairs,Exstipulate (
means stipule absent ).
6. Floral Characters:
• Inflorescence: Raceme.
In Brassica campestris have corymbose raceme
in Brassicaceae Iberia amara have corymb.
• Flower :
. Ebracteate
. Pedicellate
. Complete
. Bisexual
. Actinomorphic rarely zygomorphic in some species( iberis).
. Tetramerous , cyclic
. Hypogynous.
ActinomorphicFlower
(radial symmetry)
Zygomorphic flower
(bilateral symmetry)
7. Raceme inflorescence
with elongated axis which carrying pedicellate flower
( Pedicels of equal length)
Corymb: with elongated axis carrying pedicellate flower ( pedicels of
differentlength) in Iberis
Eg. Mustard
Raceme
8. • Calyx (K) :
. 4 sepals arranged in two whorals of 2 each
. Polysepalous (free sepals)
. 2 Anterior – posterior , 2 lateral sepals
. Green and calyx inferior ( calyx is prst. Below the superior ovary)
• Corolla (C) :
. 4 petals
. Polypetalous ( free petals)
. Cruciform ( petals arranged in the form of cross known as cruciform )
. Size equal rarely unequal or irregular ( Iberis)
10. • Androecium (A):
. 6 stamens arranged in two whorals (2+4) outer 2 stamens are short
and inner four stamens are long .
. Polyandrous
. Tetradynamous
. Anther bithecous
. 4 dot like nectaries prst. At the base of outer and inner paired
Stamens
. Basifixed , inferior
Gynoecium (G):
• Bicarpellary rarely tricarpellary . Ovary superIor
. Syncarpous ( fused carpels) . Parietal placentation
12. . Unilocular ( one locule)
Become bilocular due to development of false septum called Replum
. Ovules many , style short , stigma simple , bifid
• Fruit :
. Siliqua or silicula
• Seed :
. Small , non Endospermic
• General Floral Formula :
13. • Important Genera of Brassicaceae:
• Brassica Campestris (Mustard):
• Habit: Annual
• Root: Tap root , branched
• stem: Herbaceous above, below woody, erect,
Cylindrical, branches slightly hairy
• Leaf: Alternate, Exstipulate, sessile
• Inflorescence: Corymbose Receme
• Flower: Ebracteate, bisexual, actinomorphic,
. Regular,cyclic, hypogynous, bimerou
• Calyx: 4 sepals , polysepalous, arranged in two whorals of 2 each , green or.
yellow , inferior
14. • Corolla: 4 petals , polypetalous, cruciform ( cross arrangement),
Valvate , yellow , inferior
• Androecium: 6 stamens, polyandrous , Basifixed,
Tetradynamous arrangement in two whorals
Outer whorl : 2 short stamens
Inner whorl : 4 long stamens
• Gynoecium: Bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary , long , cylindrical,
unilocular become bilocular due to replum
15.
16. • Floral Flormula:
( sign x after c indicates that the petals are
diagonally placed
17. Economic Importance of Brassicaceae:
• Vegitable yielding plants:
Raphanus sativa (Raddiah), Brassica rapa (Turnip), stem of B. cauloropa
(var Gyanth gobi) and leaves and stem of B. oleraceae var capitalsa
( cabbage), B. Juncea (ryosag), Inflorescence of B. oleraceae (cauliflower)
are used as vegitables.
18. • Fatty oil yieldingplants:
Brassica compestris(mustard), B. rapa (Turnip) ,
B. napus (tori) etc used for extraction of the
oils
• spices:
B.nigra (black mustard), B. hista (white
mustard), B. Juncea(Indian mustard) are
used as spices.
• Medical Plant :
. Seedsof Iberia amara (candytuft), Rarnippa indica are use in Asthma
The flower of Cheiranthuscheiri are used to cure for curing branchitis fever,
eyes injuries.
19. • Ornamental plants:
some species are used as ornamental plant in gardens:
These are Iberis amara
Cheiranthus
Arabis
Hesperis
Lunaria
Mathiola lucana etc.