Fagales
Fagus sylvatica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fagales Engler
Families
See text.

The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best known trees. The order name is derived from genus Fagus, Beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families currently included are as follows:

• Betulaceae - Birch family
• Casuarinaceae - She-oak family
• Fagaceae - Beech family
• Juglandaceae - Walnut family
• Myricaceae - Bayberry family
• Nothofagaceae - Southern beech family
• Rhoipteleaceae - Rhoiptelea family
• Ticodendraceae - Ticodendron family

Older texts such as the Kew checklist (see external link below) which followed the Cronquist system only included four families (Betulaceae, Corylaceae, Fagaceae, Ticodendraceae; Corylaceae now being included within Betulaceae). The other families were split into three different orders, placed among the Hamamelidae. The Casuarinales comprised the single family Casuarinaceae, the Juglandales comprised the Juglandaceae and Rhoipteleaceae, and the Myricales comprised the remaining forms (plus Balanops). The change is due to studies suggesting that the Myricales, so defined, are paraphyletic to the other two groups.

[edit] External links

• Missouri Botanical Gardens - Fagales
• Kew checklist - Fagales