Integrative Biology 335:
Systematics of Plants

Families Aceraceae and Apiaceae

Announcements:
So far, you have had 10 lecture quizzes. There will be at least three more before the end of term, with the scores of the 10 highest used to calculate a grade.
Lecture Assignment 5 will be distributed Friday, April 24th, and will help prepare you for the final lab and lecture exams. I am hoping to have a sixth lecture assignment and only use the grades for the best five for your final assignment grade.
Our final lecture exam is on Thursday, May 14th, from 8 to 11 AM in this room. This exam will be comprehensive and will be worth 20% of your final grade.
I hope everyone is paying attention to what is flowering outside! Many families that we covered earlier this term are now flowering!

Text and Other Resources:
You are responsible for the following pertinent material presented in the Judd et al. (2008) text:

Aceraceae (maple family), included in the family Sapindaceae (soapberry family), pp. 438–440
Apiaceae or Umbelliferae, umbellifer or carrot family, pp. 495–499

Also, view Digital Flowers

Course Objectives:
After studying this material you should be able to:

Know the most important diagnostic features of these two families. For more information on how to study families, refer to Objectives for Plant Families. Diagnostic features are those distinguishing or identifying family features emphasized in lecture and lab (and treated in italics or boldface in your textbook).

Know the major clade to which these two families belong (and why!).

FAMILY COVERAGE
ACERACEAE
The Aceraceae (Sapindaceae, actually) are classified in the Rosid Clade, Malvid Subclade (order Sapindales). For our purpose, just know the family is in the Rosid Clade. General features of the Rosid Clade are available in a previous lecture.
Judd et al. (2008) include the Aceraceae within the Sapindaceae (soapberry family) as subfamily Aceroideae. This follows cladistic theory, which states that a group that is recognized in a phylogenetic classification must be monophyletic (that is, contain all the descendants of the most recent common ancestor of that group). The Aceraceae arise within a paraphyletic Sapindaceae, so to make the latter monophyletic, it must be expanded to include the maples. However, in this class you are only expected to know the characteristics of the Aceraceae in the narrow sense, such as that given in your Class Notes and in Digital Flowers (the "aceroid clade"). By the way, Judd et al. also include the family Hippocastanaceae (horse chestnut family, e.g., Aesculus) in the Sapindaceae.
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Left: Male flower of Norway maple (Acer platanoides); Right: Female flower of Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

Cladogram of Sapindaceae (Fig. 70, W. Zomlefer text, 1994)

Class Notes: Aceraceae (Maple Family)

Class Notes: Aceraceae Examples

Drawing of Aceraceae (Acer rubrum; Fig. 68, Zomlefer, 1994)

Line drawing of Aceraceae from Judd et al. (Fig. 9.106)

How They Make Maple Syrup from You Tube

APIACEAE or UMBELLIFERAE
The Apiaceae are classified in the Asterid Clade, Campanulids Subclade (order Apiales). For our purpose, just know that the family is in the Asterid Clade. General features of the Asterid Clade are available in a previous lecture. Note, however, that the family does not have sympetalous corollas and epipetalous stamens!
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Simple umbel inflorescence and flowers of sweet cicely or anise root (Osmorhiza longistylis), a common woodland flower in Illinois. Note the imperfect flowers, the large stylopodium, and the distinct petals.

Class Notes: Apiaceae

Class Notes: Apiaceae Examples

Drawing of Apiaceae (Fig. 88, Zomlefer, 1994)

Line drawing of Apiaceae from Judd et al. (Fig. 9.132)

The family Apiaceae is the subject of Prof. Downie's research. For more information on his research program, click here and access links within.

Apiaceae subfamily Saniculoideae Tree of Life (Downie et al. unpublished)

Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae Tree of Life (Downie et al. unpublished)

Chloroplast Genome from a typical member of Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae

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Astonishing Apiaceae's - Wildflowers and plants of the Inland Northwest, also from You Tube!
The family Apiaceae has a prominent place in history. Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) was responsible for the death of Socrates in what may have been the first historically well-documented case of a successful poisoning. The Death of Socrates (1787), by Jacques-Louis David at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts the closing moments of the life of Socrates (Plato is at the foot of the bed). Socrates heroicly rejected exile and accepted death from drinking an infusion of poison hemlock.
Socrates Drank the Conium Greek hard rock band (Live 1999). Their 1972 album was called "Taste of Conium."

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