CAPRIFOLIACEAE - HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY
Scientific Description:
Shrubs to woody climbers, herbs, rarely small trees. Leaves foetid (someValerianoideae subfamily), simple or compound (pinnatifid to odd-pinnate in some Valerianoideae, rarely Caprifolioideae), opposite or whorled (some Caprifolioideae, Dipsacoideae and Linnaeoideae subfamilies); margins entire or toothed; venation pinnate or palmate (Morino L.); petioles present, sometimes leaf base sheathing; stipules absent, rarely interpetiolar present (e.g. Leycesteria glaucophylla L. stipulate). Inflorescences simple to compound cymes, heads or 1−3 flowered; usually bracteate, involucral in Dipsacoideae and Morinoideae. Flowers bisexual or rarely unisexual, zygomorphic or actinomorphic; usually bracteolate. Sepals usually fused or absent. Petals fused, often 2 upper lobes and 3 lower or 1 upper and 4 lower, sometimes spurred (e.g. Centranthes L.). Stamen filaments attached to petals; sometimes staminodes 2 (Morinoideae subfamily). Ovary inferior to rarely part-inferior; carpels fused; locules 1−8; ovules 1−many per locule; placentation axile to apical; style 1; stigmas 1−3. Fruit an achene (Linnaeoideae, Morinoideae), achene or cypsela (Dipsacoideae, Valerianoideae), capsule (Diervilloideae) or berry, drupe or achene (Caprifolioideae).
Reference:
Byng JW (2014). Caprifoliaceae, In: The Flowering Plants Handbook: A practical guide to families and genera of the world. Plant Gateway Ltd., Hertford, UK., pp. 509.
Public Description:
The “honeysuckle family” has a cosmopolitan distribution and thecentres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia. It contains mostly shrubs and vines, rarely herbs, including some ornamental garden plants. The most commonly used garden ornamental plants are; “abelia(Abelia R.Br.), “honeysuckles (Lonicera L.) and“weigela (Weigela Thunb). A few species have become invasive weeds outside of their natural spread. “Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.)” is a fragrant flowering vine that kills other plants by climbing over them and shutting out the light.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2015).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprifoliaceae, Accessed date: 29.12.2015.
Anonymous 2 (2015).http://www.britannica.com/plant/Caprifoliaceae, Accessed date: 29.12.2015.
