Brassicaceae: Characters, Economic Importance, Distribution and Types

Diagnostic Characters of Brassicaceae:

1. Habit: Annual/yearly, biennial or perennial herbs.

2. Roots: Tap root - large central from which other roots sprout (fibrous or tuberous).

3. Stem: Herbaceous, cylindrical. aerial, woody / solid. 

4. Leaves: Petiolate - enable the leaf to face the sun, alternate, simple, exstipulate, reticulate venation, leaves are generally covered by simple or branched hairs. 

5. Inflorescence: Simple racemose (In it  main axis continues to grow indefinitely), it becomes corymbose raceme. 

6. Flower: Pedicillate - stem that attaches the flower to inflorescence, ebracteate, actinomorphic, regular, complete, hermaphrodite, hypogynous - superior ovary.

7. Calyx: 4 sepals, free, dimerous (placed in two whorls) green.

8. Corolla: 4 petals, free arranged in single whorl occupying the diagonal position and form characteristics cruciform type. 

9. Stamens: 6 stamens, free, tetradynamous (two lateral stamens are smaller but four median stamens are bigger) basifixed, nectaries are exist at the base of stamens. 

10. Carpel: 2 carpels, fused to form compound ovary; syncarpous, placentation parietal, ovary unilocular but become bilocular due to formation of false septum. 

11. Fruits: Siliqua or silicula.

12. Seed: Non-endospermic.

Floral formula of Brassicaceae:

Floral diagram of Brassicaceae:

Economic Importance of Brassicaceae:

1. Vegetables: The roots, leaves and fruits and inflorescence of many plants of this family are used as vegetable. Example: radish, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower etc.

2. Extraction of oil: Vegetable oils are extracted from many members of this family like mustard, Juncea, Eruca.

3. Used as condiments: Some plants are used as condiments like Brassica nigra, Brassica alba.

4. Medicinal plants: Some plants are used in medicines like Sisymbrium irio, Lepidium sativum etc.

5. Ornamental plants: Some plants are used as ornamental plants like Cherianthus cheiri (wall flower) Iberis imara (candytuft).

6. Fodder: Leaves of Brassica species are used as fodder. Oil cake is obtained by crushing the seeds. It is given to cattle as fodder.

7. Weeds: Some plants like Coronopis and Capsella bursa-pastoris act as weed.

Distribution pattern of Brassicaceae:

It is a large family. It includes about 200 genera and 2000 species. They are mostly bring into being in temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere of the globe. Some species are also found in tropical areas.

Important Species of Brassicaceae:

1. Brassica campestris generally known as Mustard.

2. Brassica napus generally known as Turnip

3. Brassica oleracea generally known as Cabbage.

4. Raphanus sativus generally known as Radish.

5. Iberis amara generally known as Candytuft.