Fagales

(botany) An order of dicotyledonous woody plants in the subclass Hamamelidae having simple leaves and much reduced, mostly unisexual flowers.

An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), in the superorder Rosidae of Eudicotyledon. The order consists of 8 families (Betulaceae, Casuarinaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae, Nothofagaceae, Rhoipteleaceae, Ticodendraceae) and approximately 30 genera and nearly 1000 species. The Fagales are either simple or compound-leaved, woody plants. Flowers are mostly unisexual and much reduced for wind pollination. The female flowers produce one- or two-seeded nut fruits (for example, acorn, chestnut, walnut); the male flowers are grouped into pendant catkins (see illustration). Birch (Betula), beech (Fagus), walnut (Juglans), and oak (Quercus) are members of the Fagales. See also Beech; Birch; Magnoliophyta; Oak; Plant kingdom; Rosidae.

drooping male catkins. (Ken Sytsma, University of Wisconsin)">
Butternut or white walnut (Juglans cinerea), a North American species showing compound leaves and slender drooping male catkins. (Ken Sytsma, University of Wisconsin)

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: an order of dicotyledonous trees of the subclass Hamamelidae
  Synonym: order Fagales

Fagales
Fagus sylvatica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fagales Engler
Families
See text.

The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best known trees. The order name is derived from genus Fagus, Beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families currently included are as follows:

• Betulaceae - Birch family
• Casuarinaceae - She-oak family
• Fagaceae - Beech family
• Juglandaceae - Walnut family
• Myricaceae - Bayberry family
• Nothofagaceae - Southern beech family
• Rhoipteleaceae - Rhoiptelea family
• Ticodendraceae - Ticodendron family

Older texts such as the Kew checklist (see external link below) which followed the Cronquist system only included four families (Betulaceae, Corylaceae, Fagaceae, Ticodendraceae; Corylaceae now being included within Betulaceae). The other families were split into three different orders, placed among the Hamamelidae. The Casuarinales comprised the single family Casuarinaceae, the Juglandales comprised the Juglandaceae and Rhoipteleaceae, and the Myricales comprised the remaining forms (plus Balanops). The change is due to studies suggesting that the Myricales, so defined, are paraphyletic to the other two groups.

External links

• Missouri Botanical Gardens - Fagales
• Kew checklist - Fagales

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