In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Characters of Primulaceae 2. Distribution of Primulaceae 3. Economic Importance 4. Affinities 5. Important Types.

Characters of Primulaceae:

Herbaceous habit, gamopetalous corolla, single whorl of stamens opposite the corolla lobes; unilocular ovary with free-central placentation; fruit dehiscent capsule, seeds numerous and endospermic.

A. Vegetative characters:

Habit:

Perennial or annual herbs.

Root:

Tap or adventitious.

Stem:

Corms, tuber or rhizome, in aerial stem internodes suppressed, so the leaves are radical in dense clusters.

Leaf:

Simple, exstipulate, alternate, opposite or whorled, sometimes radical frequently glandular; pinnately dissected in the aquatic-Hottonia.

B. Floral character:

Inflorescence:

Umbellate, racemose or spicate or solitary.

Flower:

Actinomorphic, very seldom zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, bracteate, hypogynous or very rarely semiepigynous.

Calyx:

Sepcels 5, rarely 4-9 lobed gamosepalous, foliaceous, persistent, imbricate.

Corolla:

Petals 5 rarely 4 or more than 5; gamopetalous, 5 pentite, tubular or rotate, funnel shaped or companulate, imbricate or contorted.

Androecium:

Stamens 5 rarely 4 or more than 5, inserted in corolla tube and opposite to corolla lobes, (obdipolstemonous); filament usually short, free, anthers bithecous, introrse.

Gynoecium:

Carpels 5, syncarpous, ovary superior, very varely half inferior, unilocular, free-central placentation; ovules many amphitropious to semi-anatropous, bitegmic, style long or short, stigma entire, minute.

Fruit:

Capsule dehiscing transversely.

Seed:

Small endosperm abundant fleshy or horny.

Pollination:

Entomphilous.

Floral formula:

Primulaceae

Primula Vulgaris Huds

Distribution of Primulaceae:

Primrose family comprises of 28 genera and 800 species distributed mostly in the temperate and mountainous region of the northern hemisphere, many are artic and alpine.

Economic Importance of Primulaceae:

Economic importance of the family is practically none. Ornamentals-Anagallis arvensis, Centunculus tenullus, Primula sinensis etc. are cultivated as garden ornamentals.

1. Dye:

Lysimachla vulgaris is a used as febrifuge and yields a yellow dye.

2. Poisonous:

Large tubers of Cyclamen europeum are poisonous if taken uncooked.

Affinities of Primulaceae:

Primulaceae resembles Caryophyllaceaw in having same type of gynoecium and free-central placentation. As concluded by Douglas (1936) (and in essence by Dickson (1936) reduced flower of the Phimulaceae has descended from an ancestor which was characterised by a plurilocular ovary and axile placentation. This primitive flower might well be found in centrospermal stock, as Wernham, Bessey and Hutchinson, have suggested.

Common plants of the family:

1. Anagalis arvensis – Annuel herb with gland dotted leaves and true flowers.

2. Centunculus tenellus – very small annual.

3. Primula umbellans – herb with small red or white flowers.

Division of the family & chief genera:

Tribe I: Primuleae:

Ovary superior, capsule with valvular dehiscence. Genera. Primula, Androsace. etc.

Tribe II: Cyclamineae:

Ovary superior, capsule valvular. Petals inflexed. Plants with corm. Genus: Cyclomen only.

Tribe III: Lysimachieae:

Fruit and ovary as above but capsule with circumssile dehiscence; corolla lobes contorted Genera, Lysimachia, Trientalis etc.

Tribe IV: Samoleae:

Ovary semi-inferior, Genus: Samolus only.

Table V: Corideae:

Flowers Zygomorphic; calyx spiny. Genus: Coris.

Important Type of Primulaceae:

Anagallis arvensis (Fig. 71.1):

Habit:

An annual, glabrous procombent herb.

Root:

Tap root.

Stem:

Hebaceous branching from base.

Leaf:

Ovate or lanceolate, acute, opposite, sessile, gland-dotted.

Inflorecence:

Solitary axillary, erect.

Flower:

Bracteate, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, hypogynous, pentamerous, blue.

Calyx:

Sepals 5, gamosepalous, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, inferior.

Corolla:

Petals 5, gampetalous, rotate, inferior, blue.

Androecium:

Stamens 5, polyandous epipetalous, obdipolostemonous, inferior.

Gynoecium:

Carpels 5, syncarpous, ovary superior unilocalar, free central placentation with many ovules.

Fruit:

A capsule.

Seed:

Minute, many and endospermic.

Floral formula:

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