What is "myrtales"

Myrtales \Myrtales\ prop. n. A natural order of trees and shrubs including the myrtle family, Myrtaceae; Combretaceae; Elaeagnaceae; Haloragidaceae; Melastomaceae; Lecythidaceae; Lythraceae; Rhizophoraceae; Onagraceae; Lecythidaceae; and Punicaceae.

Syn: order Myrtales, Thymelaeales, order Thymelaeales.

The Myrtales are an order of flowering plants placed as a sister to the eurosids II clade as of the publishing of the Eucalyptus grandis genome in June 2014. Though the APG III system of classification for angiosperms still places it within the eurosids. The following families are included as of APG III:

• Alzateaceae S.A.Graham
• Combretaceae R.Br. ( leadwood family)
• Crypteroniaceae A.DC.
• Lythraceae J.St.-Hil. ( loosestrife and pomegranate family)
• Melastomataceae Juss. (including Memecylaceae DC.)
• Myrtaceae Juss. (myrtle family; including Heteropyxidaceae Engl. & Gilg, Psiloxylaceae Croizat)
• Onagraceae Juss. ( evening primrose family)
• Penaeaceae Sweet ex Guill. (including Oliniaceae Arn., Rhynchocalycaceae L.A.S.Johnson & B.G.Briggs)
• Vochysiaceae A.St.-Hil.

The 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. In the classification system of Dahlgren the Myrtales were in the superorder Myrtiflorae (also called Myrtanae). The APG III system agrees with the older Cronquist circumscriptions of treating Psiloxylaceae and Heteropyxidaceae within Myrtaceae, and Memecyclaceae within Melastomataceae.

Ellagitannins are reported in dicotyledoneous angiospermes, and notably in species in the order Myrtales.