Myrtales

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The Myrtales are an order of flowering plants placed within the rosid group of dicotyledons. The following families are typical of newer classifications:

• Family Alzateaceae
• Family Combretaceae
• Family Crypteroniaceae
• Family Heteropyxidaceae
• Family Lythraceae (loosestrife 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 older 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, Elena; Erikkson, Torsten; Schonenberger, Jurg; Sytsma, Kenneth J; and Baum, David A. Early Tertiary Out-of-India Dispersal of Crypteroniaceae: Evidence from Phylogeny and Molecular Dating. Evolution, 56(10), 2002, pp. 1931–1942
• Schönenberger, Jürg and Conti, Elena. Molecular phylogeny and floral evolution of Penaeaceae, Oliniaceae, Rhynchocalycaceae, and Alzateaceae (Myrtales). American Journal of Botany. 2003;90:293-309.