XVI International Botanical Congess

Recent studies, in particular in the field of nucleotide sequence analysis, have provided support for broad conclusions regarding the phylogeny of the flowering plants. With regards to the asterids, several taxa previously placed in, e.g., the heterogenous families Escalloniaceae (or Escallonioideae of Saxifragaceae) and Cornaceae are instead found to be scattered as basal members of several different families and orders. As such they might provide important information aiding in explaining the distribution of features and characters in the asterids. With this background systematic and taxonomic implications for the asterids, with particular emphasis on euasteridae I and II, are discussed. Recently described or recircumscribed families are put into context, some taxa still of uncertain affinities within the asterids discussed, and an overall view of the phylogeny of asterids presented.