Commelinales

Commelinales
Temporal range: 80–0 Ma Late Cretaceous - Recent
Tradescantia pallida
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Mirb. ex Bercht. & J.Presl[1]
Families

Commelinaceae
Haemodoraceae
Hanguanaceae
Philydraceae
Pontederiaceae

Synonyms

Haemodorales

Commelinales is an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of species are in the Commelinaceae. Plants in the order share a number of synapomorphies that tie them together, such as a lack of mycorrhizal associations and tapetal raphides. Estimates differ as to when the Commelinales evolved, but most suggest an origin and diversification sometime during the mid- to late Cretaceous. Depending on the methods used, studies suggest a range of origin between 123 and 73 million years, with diversification occurring within the group 110 to 66 million years ago. The order's closest relatives are in the Zingiberales, which includes ginger, bananas, cardamom, and others.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference APGIII2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, November 2011.