Ecological Notes Web

The Iridaceae family consists of annual or perennial herbs. They have rhizomes, corms, or bulbs underground. The leaves are sword-shaped, flattened, alternate, and strabiate. The flowers are bisexual and radially or bilaterally symmetrical. There are three inner and three outer perianth segments, either identical in shape or with larger outer segments, fused at the base...

Orchids (Orchidaceae) are terrestrial, epiphytic, lithophytic, mycoheterotrophic perennial herbs. Stems are monopodial (single-stemmed) or sympodial (compound-stemmed) with long stems, or they have rhizomes or enlarged pseudobulbs. Leaves are mostly flattened, with a tubular sheath at the base, sometimes reduced to scales. Flowers are...

Liliaceae are perennial herbs. They have bulbs or rhizomes. Leaves are alternate, opposite, or whorled, sometimes clustered at the base of the stem. Flowers are solitary at the stem tip or leaf axils, or borne in diverse racemes or umbels. They bear bisexual flowers. The perianth segments are separate, with outer and inner perianth segments...

The family Smilacaceae, also known as the Smilax family, is a perennial herb or subshrub, mostly climbing plants. They typically have short rhizomes. Leaves are alternate, with tendrils on the petioles. Inflorescences are usually umbels. Perianth segments are usually free, with three of each being identical in shape and texture to the outer and inner segments. The ovary is...

The Alstroemeriaceae family is mostly perennial. It is distributed in Central and South America. Many species have tubers or rhizomes, and many Alstroemeria species have beautiful flowers, leading to extensive cultivation as ornamental plants. The flowers consist of three inner perianth segments and three outer perianth segments (sometimes fused, sometimes not)...

Colchicaceae are perennial herbs. They have corms or rhizomes. Leaves are alternate, opposite, or whorled, sometimes clustered at the base of the stem. Flowers are solitary or borne in racemes or cymes, exhibiting considerable diversity. They usually bear bisexual flowers. Perianth segments are separate or fused, with 6...

The family Melanthiaceae consists of perennial herbs. They typically have rhizomes. Leaves are alternate or whorled. Flowers are solitary or borne in racemes or spikes. They can be bisexual or unisexual. The perianth segments are free, typically six in number, although some are reduced...

The Pandanaceae family consists of cold-hardy evergreen trees or vines. Over 700 species across 3-4 genera are distributed in the former tropical regions of Asia and Africa and Polynesia, with native species found in the Ogasawara Islands and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. Pandanus species produce aerial roots from the nodes of their stems, resembling the legs of an octopus….

The family Dioscoreaceae consists of herbaceous or climbing plants, comprising over 630 species across three genera distributed worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. In Japan, only the genus Dioscorea is found. This article provides a comprehensive, field-guide-style introduction to plants of the Dioscoreaceae family. Basic information is available from the Kanagawa Prefectural Botanical Garden...

The family Potamogetonaceae originally consisted of two genera, Potamogetonaceae and Groenlandia, but the genus *Groenlandia* was separated from Potamogetonaceae. Also, the family Zanichelliaceae was included within Potamogetonaceae...