Myrtales

Myrtales
Lumnitzera littorea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales Reichenbach
Families
See text

Blue Eyes Fuchsia flower and buds, from order Myrtales and family Onagraceae

The Myrtales are an order of flowering plants placed as a basal group within the rosid group of dicotyledons (not a member of eurosids I or eurosids II). The following families are typical of newer classifications:

• Family Alzateaceae
• Family Combretaceae (leadwood family)
• Family Crypteroniaceae
• Family Heteropyxidaceae
• Family Lythraceae (loosestrife and pomegranate family)
• Family Melastomataceae
• Family Memecylaceae
• Family Myrtaceae (myrtle family)
• Family Oliniaceae
• Family Onagraceae (evening primrose family)
• Family Penaeaceae
• Family Psiloxylaceae
• Family Rhynchocalycaceae
• Family Vochysiaceae

The Cronquist system gives essentially the same composition, except the Vochysiaceae are removed to the order Polygalales, and the Thymelaeaceae are included. The families Sonneratiaceae, Trapaceae, and Punicaceae are removed from the Lythraceae, while the Psioxylaceae and Heteropyxidaceae are treated within the Myrtaceae, and the Memecyclaceae within the Melastomataceae.

References

• Conti, E., Erikkson, T., Schonenberger, J., Sytsma, K. J., & Baum, D. A. (2002). Early Tertiary Out-of-India Dispersal of Crypteroniaceae: Evidence from Phylogeny and Molecular Dating. Evolution 56 (10): 1931–1942
• Schönenberger, J. & Conti, E. (2003). Molecular phylogeny and floral evolution of Penaeaceae, Oliniaceae, Rhynchocalycaceae, and Alzateaceae (Myrtales). American Journal of Botany 90: 293–309.