Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales is an order of flowering plants encompassing cacti, carnations, amaranths, and carnivorous plants such as sundews and pitcher plants.
Core Caryophyllales: The major clade of Caryophyllales that includes most families in the order. It distinguishes the order’s largest lineage from its early-diverging families.
Cactus: A member of the plant family Cactaceae, typically adapted to dry environments with succulent stems. Cacti are among the order’s best-known examples of adaptation to aridity.
APG IV system: A 2016 classification of flowering plants based on evidence from molecular phylogenetics and other sources. It provides a modern framework for recognizing Caryophyllales and its families.
Rosales: An order of flowering plants that includes roses, apples, and figs. It is another large, diverse eudicot order, but belongs to a different lineage.
Caryophyllaceae: The flowering-plant family containing carnations, pinks, and chickweeds. This family gives Caryophyllales its name and includes familiar garden flowers.
Quinoa: A crop grown for its protein-rich seeds, belonging to the amaranth family. This food crop connects Caryophyllales to global agriculture.
Molecular phylogenetics: The inference of evolutionary relationships using molecular sequence data. DNA evidence reshaped the boundaries and internal relationships of the order.
Saxifragales: An order of flowering plants that includes saxifrages, stonecrops, and peonies. Its close placement among core eudicots makes it a useful phylogenetic comparison.
Amaranthaceae: The flowering-plant family containing amaranths, quinoa, and many salt-tolerant plants. It brings together several economically important members of the order.
Carnation: A cultivated flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, valued for its fringed blooms. Carnations represent the ornamental horticulture associated with the order.