Labiatae(Lamiaceae)

                     Lamiaceae ( Mint family) 

             Systematic Position

             Kingdom = Plantae

            Sub - Kingdom= Tracheobionta

            Division = Magnoliophyta

            Sub - Class = Asteridae 

            Order = Lamiales

             Family= Lamiaceae

Distribution= The mint family is rather large, containing 180 genera and 3,500 species of world - wide distribution. In India the family is represented by about 64 genera and 380 species occuring chiefly in comparatively dry areas and moderate altitudes. 

Habit = Plants are mostly aromatic herbs or shurbs . Tree habit is found in the Brazillian genus Hyptis and Climbing habit in American species of Scutellaria. 

Vegetative Characters:-

1 Root = Tap, branched, rarely adventious. 

2 Stem= Aerial, harbaceous, rarely woody, erect or prostrate, quadrangular, hairyhairy, branched, hollow or solid. 

3 Leaves= Opposite decussate, rarely whorled, simple, petiolate or sessile, exstipulate, hairy with aromatic stem, entire pinnatified, unicostate reticulate venation. 

Floral characters:-

1 InInflorescence = Very vommonly verticillaster consisting of a pair of condensed dichasial cymes at each node; often the verticillasters are grouped together in a thyrsus form ; rarely solitary. 

2 Flower = The flowers are bracteate, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic ( rarely actinomorphic in Mentha), pentamerous and hypogynous. 

3 Calyx = The calyx is perssitent and composed of usually 5 sepals which Show various degree of union. The aestivation is valvate or rearly imbricate. 

4 Corolla = Petals generally 5 , gamopetalous and five teeth are sub equal and mostly bilabiate. The aestivation in the petals is valvate or imbricate. 

5 Androecium = The stamens are usually Four, didynamous and inserted on the corolla tube. The anterior pair of stamens is usually longer and posterior stamen is reduced or represented by a staminode. 

6 Gynoecium = The Gynoecium is bicarpellary and syncarpous. The ovary is superior, deeply four- lobed, bilocular or apparently becoming four- locular by the formation of false septa. There are two anatropous ovules in each locule nd the placentation is axile. The style is gynobasic arising between the lobes of the lobes of the ovary. The stigma is usually bifid. 

7 Fruit = The fruit is of Four one - seeded nutlets enclosed by the persistent calyx. 

8 Seed = Non- endospermic. 

9 Floral formula = 

Name = Vartika Sharma

Sem = 2nd

Roll ( no.) = 89

Subject = Botany

Submitted to = Mrs Nisha Mam

Section = A

College = GDC kathua