In the APG II system (2003) for the classification of flowering plants, the name asterids refers to a clade (a monophyletic group).

Most of the taxa belonging to this clade had been referred to the Asteridae in the Cronquist system (1981) and to the Sympetalae in earlier systems. The name asterids (plural, not necessarily capitalized) is presumably inspired by the earlier botanical name but in itself is intended to be the name of a clade rather than a formal ranked name, in the sense of the ICBN. This clade is one of the two main groups of eudicots, the other being the rosids. It consists of:

• clade asterids :

  order Cornales

  order Ericales

  clade euasterids I

  family Boraginaceae

  family Icacinaceae

  family Oncothecaceae

  family Vahliaceae

  order Garryales

  order Solanales

  order Gentianales

  order Lamiales

  clade euasterids II

  family Bruniaceae

  family Columelliaceae (+ family Desfontainiaceae)

  family Eremosynaceae

  family Escalloniaceae (+ family Tribelaceae)

  family Paracryphiaceae (+ families Sphenostemonaceae and Quintiniaceae)

  family Polyosmaceae

  order Aquifoliales

  order Apiales

  order Dipsacales

  order Asterales

Note : “ + ....” = optional as a seggregate of the preceding family.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Asterids

• Asterids in Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 7, May 2006.