BOTANY WITH BASICS OF HYDROBOTANY (AQUATIC PLANTS OF UKRAINE) - B.Ye. Yakubenko - 2011

X. SEED PLANTS

Order Violales

Trees, shrubs, and herbs with alternate or, more rarely, opposite, lobed leaves, usually with stipules. Inflorescences of various types. Flowers bisexual or, less commonly, unisexual (pistillate and staminate), actinomorphic, sometimes more or less zygomorphic, cyclic, occasionally with a spiral perianth, predominantly pentamerous, rarely apetalous. Sepals range from three to six, rarely up to 15, most commonly five, free or more or less connate, imbricate. Petals number three to six, rarely up to 15, most frequently five, free or shortly connate at the base, imbricate. The number of stamens is usually equal to the number of petals, rarely more or fewer, free or more or less connate; anthers typically opening longitudinally. Gynoecium syncarpous (paracarpcarpous), consisting of two to five or ten, but most often three carpels, with stylodia that are free or more or less connate; Ovary superior, rarely half-inferior or inferior, with numerous, or less frequently few or only one to two ovules on parietal placentas. Fruits of various types, predominantly capsules or berries. It comprises 14 families, about 155 genera, and over 3,100 species. In the flora of Ukraine, the order is represented by two families and 57 species.