Proteales

Taxobox
name = "Proteales"

---

image_width = 230px
image_caption = "Protea cynaroides"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Proteales
ordo_authority = Dumort. (1829)
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision = Nelumbonaceae (lotus)

Platanaceae (plane trees)

Proteaceae

"Proteales" is the botanical name of an order of flowering plants. Such an order has been recognized by almost all taxonomists.

Families

The APG II system, of 2003, also recognizes this order, and places it in the clade eudicots with this circumscription:

* order "Proteales":* family "Nelumbonaceae":* family "Proteaceae" [+ family "Platanaceae"]

with "+ ..." = optional segregrate family, that may be split off from the preceding family.

Well-known members of Proteales include the proteas of South Africa, the banksias and macadamias of Australia, the London plane, and the sacred lotus. The origins of the order are clearly ancient, with evidence of diversification in the mid Cretaceous, over 100 million years ago. Of interest are the current family distributions, with the Proteaceae a mostly southern hemisphere family while Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae northern hemisphere.

Classification

This represents a slight change from the APG system, of 1998, which firmly did accept family "Platanaceae" as separate, using this circumscription of the order:
* order "Proteales":* family "Nelumbonaceae":* family "Platanaceae":* family "Proteaceae"

Cronquist

The Cronquist system, of 1981, recognized such an order and placed it in subclass "Rosidae" in class "Magnoliopsida" [=dicotyledons] . It used this circumscription:
* order "Proteales":* family "Elaeagnaceae":* family "Proteaceae"

Dahlgren & Thorne

The Dahlgren system and Thorne system (1992) recognized such an order and placed it in superorder "Proteanae" in subclass "Magnoliidae" [=dicotyledons] . These systems used this circumscription:
* order "Proteales":* family "Proteaceae"

Engler

The Engler system, in its update of 1964, also recognized this order and placed it in subclass "Archychlamydeae" of class "Dicotyledoneae". It used this circumscription:
* order "Proteales":* family "Proteaceae"

Wettstein

The Wettstein system, last revised in 1935, also recognized this order and placed it in the "Monochlamideae" in subclass "Choripetalae" of class "Dicotyledones". It used this circumscription:
* order "Proteales":* family "Proteaceae"