Laurales

Atherospermataceae
Calycanthaceae
Gomortegaceae
Hernandiaceae
Lauraceae
Monimiaceae
Siparunaceae

The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are a basal group of dicots, closely related to the Magnoliales.

The order includes about 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate zone.

The earliest lauraceous fossils are from to the early Cretaceous. It is possible that the ancient origin of this order is one of the reasons for its highly diverged morphology. Indeed, presently no single morphological property is known, which would unify all the members of Laurales. This fact used to cause much argument among botanists regarding the correct circumscription of the order, and the presently accepted classification is based on recent molecular and genetic analysis.

The following families are included in newer systems:

• Family Atherospermataceae
• Family Calycanthaceae
• Family Gomortegaceae
• Family Hernandiaceae
• Family Lauraceae (laurel family)
• Family Monimiaceae
• Family Siparunaceae

Under the older Cronquist system, the Laurales included a slightly different set of families:

• Family Amborellaceae
• Family Trimeniaceae
• Family Monimiaceae
• Family Gomortegaceae
• Family Calycanthaceae
• Family Idiospermaceae
• Family Lauraceae
• Family Hernandiaceae

References

• K. J. Perleb (1826). Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs, 174. Magner, Freiburg im Breisgau, Deutschland.
• Renner, Susanne S (May 2001) Laurales. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group. http://www.els.net/ doi:10.1038/npg.els.0003695
  Full text: http://www.umsl.edu/~biosrenn/Laurales.ELS.pdf
• Renner S. S. (1999). Circumscription and phylogeny of the Laurales: evidence from molecular and morphological data. American Journal of Botany 86(9), 1301-1315. (http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/9/1301 )
  Full text: http://www.umsl.edu/~biosrenn/Laurales%20AJB%20paper.pdf
• Endress P. K., Igersheim A. (1997). Gynoecium diversity and systematics of the Laurales. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 125(2), 93-168. doi:10.1006/bojl.1997.0113