Myricales

(botany) An order of dicotyledonous plants in the subclass Hamamelidae, marked by its simple, resinous-dotted, aromatic leaves, and a unilocular ovary with two styles and a single ovule.

An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), in the subclass Hamamelidae of the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The order consists of the single family Myricaceae, with about 50 species. Within its subclass the order is marked by its simple, resinous-dotted, aromatic leaves and unilocular ovary with two styles and a single ovule. The plants are trees or shrubs, and the flowers are much reduced and borne in catkins. The fruit is a small, waxy-coated drupe or nut. Several species of Myrica are occasionally cultivated as ornamentals. See also Flower; Hamamelidae; Magnoliopsida.