Proteales

Proteales is an order of flowering plants. It includes three families, namely Proteaceae, Platanaceae, and Nelumbonaceae, with a total of about 75 genera and nearly 1600 species. The order is recognized by most taxonomists and is placed in the eudicots clade in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification.

Taxonomy

The Proteales order is part of the Rosids clade, which is itself part of the larger Eudicots clade. The order is further divided into three families: Proteaceae, Platanaceae, and Nelumbonaceae.

Proteaceae

The Proteaceae family is the largest within the Proteales order, with about 80 genera and 1600 species. This family is primarily distributed in the Southern Hemisphere and is particularly diverse in Australia and South Africa.

Platanaceae

The Platanaceae family, also known as the plane tree family, consists of a single genus, Platanus, with about 10 species. These trees are native to the Northern Hemisphere and are commonly found in North America and Eurasia.

Nelumbonaceae

The Nelumbonaceae family, also known as the lotus family, consists of a single genus, Nelumbo, with two species. These aquatic plants are native to North America and Asia.

Evolution

The Proteales order is considered to be one of the earliest diverging lineages of the eudicots. Fossil evidence suggests that the Proteales originated in the late Cretaceous period, around 89.8 million years ago.

Economic Importance

Several species within the Proteales order have significant economic importance. For example, some species of the Proteaceae family, such as the Macadamia nut, are cultivated for their edible seeds. The wood of plane trees (Platanaceae) is used in furniture making, and the lotus (Nelumbonaceae) is cultivated for its edible seeds and rhizomes, as well as for ornamental purposes.

See Also

• Flowering plant
• Eudicots
• Rosids
• Proteaceae
• Platanaceae
• Nelumbonaceae