HERBARIUM COLLECTION

The Liliopsida class is one of the primary classes of flowering plants (angiosperms), usually known as monocotyledons or monocots. They have the distinctive presence of a single cotyledon, or seed leaf in the embryo. The significant characteristics exhibited by monocots are the early death of their primary roots, and the presence of vascular bundles in the stems in contrast with the cross-section of dicots. There are around 100 families and 67,000 species of monocots, accounting for approximately one-fourth of the approximately 250,000 species of flowering plants. The grass family (Poaceae, or Gramineae), palm family (Arecaceae, or Palmae), and orchid family (Orchidaceae) are some of the largest monocot families.

The Polypodiopsida class includes a diverse group of nonflowering plants commonly known as ferns. There are 320 genera and 10,500 species in this class. Ferns are distributed globally, but they are more abundant in tropical and subtropical regions. These ferns vary in size, from less than 2 cm long up to 65 feet high. They grow either on the ground (terrestrial) or on other plants (epiphytic). Ferns’ leaves, called fronds, have multiple branching veins. Some ferns have fronds with the appearance of simple or divided leaflets (pinnae), coiled or circinate (fiddleheads), clusters (sori), or outgrowths of leaf covering the sori. These ferns usually reproduce asexually, and sexually through the production of spores. Ferns have significant roles in the ecosystem. These plants provide habitat and shelter to other species, filter toxins and heavy metals from the environment, and are sources of food and medicine for animals, including people.