B201 - 10th lecture

Taxonomy of Flowering Plants - LECTURE NOTES - Fall, 1998 Hugh D. Wilson - rm. 306, Butler Hall 19/21 October 1998 The Dilleniidae The Subclass Dilleniidae, includes 13 orders, 78 families and about 25,000 species. About 75% of the species occur in five orders; the Violales (5,000) Capparales (4,000), Ericales (4,000), Theales (3,500) and Malvales (3,000 to 3,500).

A diverse set of flowering plant orders that lacks a distinct set of key characters. General trends or features of the Subclass include:

with the exception of the Dilleniales, which stands as a structural link to the Magnoliidae, all are syncarpous
more than 1/3 of the species show parietal placentation
about 1/3 of the species are sympetalous

The Order Dilleniales (two families) is placed at the base of the Dilleniidae and also by Cronquist as a structural link to the basal flowering plant subcalss, the Magnoliidae, mainly due to lack of connation in the gynoecium, as expressed by the peony (Paeonia - Paeoniaceae) as depicted this figure (left) from the Delta family description.

Our coverage of the Subclass Dilleniidae will include:

Theales
     Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)
Malvales
    Malvaceae
Nepenthales
    Nepenthaceae
    Droseraceae
    Sarraceniaceae
Violales
    Cucurbitaceae
Salicales
    Salicaceae
Capparales
    Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Ericales
    Ericaceae
    Monotropaceae
Primulales
    Primulaceae

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