2. Systematic position
Kingdom – Plantae
Phylum - Angiosperm
Class - Rosadis
Order – Rosales
Family - Cannabinaceae
Genus - Cannabis
Species - sativa
3. Size and distribution
A very small family of only two genera (
cannabis and humulus ) and 5 species.
Cannabinaceae are mainly distributed in north
temperate regions.
Cannabis sativa only species of these genus
grows wild all over india.
Humulus lupulus grows wild in Himalayas and
other parts of our country.
4. General characters
Herbs ,annual or perennial ,erect or twinning ,dioecious or
often with cystoliths ( a hard calcium carbonate structure
at base of a hair).
Stem furrowed or winged .
Stipule free.
Leaves – alternate or opposite leaves which are simple or
palmately compond .
5. Family description
Habit – erect ( cannabis sativa) or climbing (
Humulus lupulus) aromatic herbs with watery juice
.
Male plant of cannabus sativa is larger than
female plant.
Latex absent.
Male flower producing small bell shaped cluster
that hang downward and open releasing the
pollen.
Female Flower producing tear Shaped calyxes with
2 pistils that are forming together bud .
6. Floral character
In cannabis , male plant bear flowers arranged in axillary
paniculate cymes whereas female plant bear flowers
arranged in cone like axillary spikes.
In humulus ,male plants have mixed panicles of cymes and
racemes whereas female bear biparous cone like flowers.
Flowers – unisexual and dioecious usually apetalous and
axillaryb,actinomorphic small and inconspicuous .
Bracteate in C.sativa and bracts covered by glandular hairs
on their outer surface glands .On these hairs remain filled
with a secretion containing tetraa hydocannabinol.
Male flower – perianth staminate flowers arranged in
panicles .Each flower with usually 5 parted perianth.
Lobes valvate or imbricate ,free ( cannabis) or connate at
base ( humulus).
7.
8. Andoecium – stamen 5 ,free opposite the perianth lobe
enveloping the ovary is present ,colourless.
Gynoecium – absent.
Female flower- perianth usually absent if present then
only one perianth lobe.
Androecium –absent.
Gynoecium – monocarpellary superior unilocular ,1ovulated
ovary ,ovule pendulous and curved ,placentation basal ,style
one with 2 long armed ,stigma 2 ,minute and simple.
9. Fruit- an achene covered by persistent perianth lobe.
Seed – endospermic flattened with curved embryo.
11. Characters
Commonly called known as common hop.
Dioecious, rhizomatous ,twining
Perennial vine that is grown commercially
Stem are annual slender climp up to 9 m in length often with stout hooked
hairs.
Leaves are opposite arranged ,heart shaped ,3-5 lobed ,margins toothed,stalk
slightly fleshy with stout hooked hair.
12. Floral characters
Flowers are unisexual but occasionally monoecious.
Staminate flowers are mostly 5-12cm long
Flowers lack petals.
Female inflorescence - cone like 2.5-5 cm long , Style is
prolonged into 2 filiform stigmas (2,3,5).
Bracts are roundish and completely cover the achenes.
Male inflorescence are borne in long raceme .
Flower cones of the plant called hops used in production of beer
to impart bitterness and flavour.
13. Fruit is an achene enclosed by a persistent calyx and bracts.
Fruit is covered in yellow glands which secret lupulin,a bitter
substance that makes the plant useful.
Seed is dispersed with in the achene.
Presence of pistillate catkins and apetalous reduced flowers
suggest wind pollination.
18. Distribution
Common name – hemp,Marijuana
Cannabis sativa is an annual
herbaceous flowering plant
indigenous to Easters Asia but
now of cosmopolitan distribution
due to widespread cultivation.
Very adaptable ,prefers direct
sunlight,open,ground loamy soils
,tropic and temperate areas.
19. General characters
Dioecious species ,male and female flowers on separate
plants.
Tall growing ( typically 4-12ft) .
Leaves- long ,thin ,opposite below and alternate toward
top,palmately long stalked divided into 3-7 toothed
leaflets.
Stem –rough,scabrous and the inner bark is fibrous.
Male plant – produce pollen,small green ,yellow and purple
flowers.
Grows in dense bunches.
Female plant- flowers have a pair of stigmas that join an
ovule.
Hair grow on both males and female – female hairs produce
on amber coloured resin.
20. Floral characters
Flowers- flowers are small and green ,crowded on axillary
clusters.
Male flower- grow in loose raceme or panicles.
Andoecium – each flower with 5 sepals ,apetals and 5 stamens.
Gynoecium- absent
Female flower- form dense cluster ,sometimes hidden by leafy
bracts with 5 sepals and 0 petal.
Gynoecium- ovary is positioned superior with 2 united carpels (
bicarpellary) forming a single chamber.,2 completely separate
style ,one carpel is aborted so that the ovary matures a single dry
seed called an achene.
Androecium – absent.
Fruit – an achene covered by persistent perianth lobe.
