XVI International Botanical Congess

The recent publication of the new ordinal classification system has emphasized that families previously thought to be unrelated form monophyletic groups.The caryophyllid clade is a well-supported group that includes the former subclass Caryophyllidae with three orders, Caryophyllales with 12 families defined by a syndrome of embryological and phytochemical features, Plumbaginales and Polygonales. Moreover, families such as Droseraceae, Nepenthaceae, Tamaricaceae and Simmondsiaceae are also included. Synapormophies of this group are adaptations to dry, salty or nutrient-poor environments (altered life history strategies), anomalous secondary growth, and anomalous floral development (pseudodiplostemony). Relationships with other orders are also suggested.