Article
Article
Malpighiales
Article By:
Chase, Mark W. Molecular Systematics Section, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Last reviewed:April 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757543
One of the largest orders of the rosid eudicotyledons. The order Malpighiales is an important flowering plant group with a worldwide distribution. Depending on the classification, it contains approximately 35 to 40 families, totaling about 16,000 species. Notable families are Euphorbiaceae, Clusiaceae, Malpighiaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Salicaceae, and Violaceae. Molecular analyses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences, both plastid and nuclear, led to the order's recognition, even though the group is highly heterogeneous and often difficult to characterize. Most of the order is composed of woody species, with many having regional importance as timber and medicines. Willows, poplars, flax, violets, mangroves, and poinsettias (see illustration) are some of the diverse species belonging to the order Malpighiales. See also: Euphorbiales; Flax; Magnoliophyta; Mangrove; Rosidae; Willow
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