Cornales

(botany) An order of dicotyledonous plants in the subclass Rosidae marked by a woody habit, simple leaves, well-developed endosperm, and fleshy fruits.

An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), in the superordinal Asteridae group of Eudicotyledon. The order consists of 5 families (Cornaceae, Grubbiaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Hydrostachyaceae, and Loasaceae), approximately 50 genera, and about 600 species. The order is mostly characterized by opposite leaves and flowers with four or five perianth parts that usually grow from the top of the ovary (epigynous). The fruit is either a fleshy berry or dehiscent capsule. The various species of dogwoods (Cornus) and sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica, family Cornaceae) are well known. Various species of Hydrangeaceae (deutzia, hydrangea, mock-orange) are important cultivated shrubs. See also Asteridae; Dogwood; Plant kingdom; Tupelo.

Cornales
Dove tree in flower a species in Nyssaceae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Cornales Dumortier
Families
See text.

Cornales is an order of flowering plants, basal among the asterids, which are part of the core eudicots. APG includes the following families:

• Family Cornaceae (dogwood family)
• Family Nyssaceae (tupelo family)
• Family Hydrangeaceae (hydrangea family)
• Family Loasaceae (stickleaf family)
• Family Hydrostachyaceae
• Family Curtisiaceae (cape lancewood)
• Family Grubbiaceae (sillyberry family)

Under the Cronquist system the order instead comprised the families Cornaceae, Garryaceae, and Alangiaceae, and was placed among the Rosidae.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)