Taxonomy
of Flowering Plants - LECTURE
NOTES - Spring, 1998
Hugh
D. Wilson - rm. 306,
Butler Hall
13 April 1998
Alismatidae
The Subclass Alismatidae, includes 4 orders, 16 families
and about 500 species. In terms of species diversity it is the smallest
subclass of the Magnoliophyta. The 'basal' monocots are interpreted
and classified in different ways (see the Flowering
Plant Gateway) and the approach used by Cronquist centers on the
gynoecium and apocarpy as a central, unifying feature for this group.
Aquatic adaptations of all but the Triuridales also provides a tentative
link to the archaic dicot element (Magnoliidae - Nymphaeales) placed by
Cronquist as a possible extant link to the monocots.
Alismatales
Alismataceae
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