Lesson Horti
Lesson Horti
Lesson Horti
CLASSIFICATION OF VEGETABLES
According to Asuncion (1983), there are several ways of classifying vegetables such
as:
1. Monocotyledonous
Family Name Scientific Name English Name
FAMILY ALLIACEAE
FAMILY BRASSICACEAE
FAMILY CUCURBITACEAE
FAMILY LEGUMINOSEAE
FAMILY SOLANACEAE
ALLIUM FAMILY
Family Alliaceae or alliums are noxious bulbous perennials with grass-like leaves.
Bulbs consist of a short, thick stem axis (basal plate) with a growing point surrounded
by fleshy scale leaves. Short, fibrous roots develop from the bottom of the basal plate.
Soft and hard-coated bulblets are produced in the axils of the scale leaves. Examples of
the alliums are garlic and onions.
Onion - (Allium cepa L.) is arguably the most important cooking ingredient in the world.
On the other hand, onions have also medicinal properties and used as cure for cough,
insomnia, hemorrhoid, and constipation.
Garlic- (Allium sativumL.) is referred to as the king of all spices. It is a pungent bulb that
is one of the most important cooking ingredients in the world. In the Philippines, garlic is
considered as a key commercial crop with great potential for export. It also contains
allicin, an antibacterial compound that slows down the growth of certain bacteria and
fungi. It is often used in folk medicine to treat wounds, toothache, sore throat, and
fungal skin diseases like athlete’s foot and ringworm.
BRASSICACEAE FAMILY
LEGUMINOSAE FAMILY
The Family Leguminoseae is one of the largest and most useful plant families with
17,000 species distributed almost throughout the world, as reported by INGO (2005). It
includes many well-known vegetables particularly of temperate regions ( beans and
peas), ornamental trees in tropical regions (Bauhinia, Flamboyant, Cassia), fodder crops
(Clover, Lucerne) and weeds (Vetches and Trefolis), and their growth habits vary from
ground cover and aquatic to shrubs, climbers and trees.
SOLANACEAE FAMILY
The term solanaceous crops generally refers to plants in the nightshade family,
Solanaceae, within the Genera Capsicum (peppers), Lycopersicon (tomato), and
Solanum (eggplant and potato).
The tomatoes, on the other hand, contain very good levels of vitamin A, and
flavonoid anti-oxidants such as α and ß-carotenes, xanthins, and lutein. Altogether,
these pigment compounds are found to have antioxidant properties and take part in
vision, maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin, and bone health. Consumption of
natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids is known to help protect from lung and
oral cavity cancer. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop
resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
B. Classification of Vegetable Crops According to Their Methods of
Culture
1. Root vegetables – The underground parts of these vegetables are eaten. Examples are
sweet potato, Irish potato, radish, carrots, onions, garlic, and turnips
2.Fruit Vegetables – The fruits and/or seeds of these vegetables are eaten.
Examples: corn, beans, eggplant, pepper, tomato, mongo, soybeans, cowpea, okra,
cucumber, chayote, wax gourd, and squash.
3. Salad Crops – The leaves of these vegetables are eaten fresh. Included in this group
are lettuce, celery, parsley, watercress, and endive.
5. Spinach and other Greens (Potherbs) – These vegetables are among the oldest of the
vegetable garden plants grown for their leaves.
Examples: spinach, mustard, kale, collard, and chard.
1. Leaf and Stem – Vegetables belonging to this type of classification are usually grown
for their leaves and stems.
Examples are bamboo shoots, spinach, Chinese cabbage, amargoso, sprouted mongo,
swamp cabbage, kangkong, tender fern, saluyot, malunggay, green onions, lettuce, and
squash.
2. Leaves and Fruits – hot pepper, bitter gourd, cowpea, and chayote
4. Fruits, Pods, and Seeds – bread fruit, rimas, bitter gourd, chayote, eggplant, jackfruit,
batao, okra, garden and pea.