Cucurbitales | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kinrick: | Plantae |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Clade: | Fabids |
Order: | Cucurbitales Juss. ex Bercht. & J.Presl[1] |
Faimilies | |
| |
Synonyms | |
|
The Cucurbitales are an order o flouerin plants, includit in the rosid group o dicotyledons. This order maistly belangs tae tropical areas, wi leemitit presence in subtropic an temperate regions. The order includes shrubs an trees, thegither wi mony yerbs an climbers. Ane o major characteristics o the Cucurbitales is the presence o unisexual flouers, maistly pentacyclic, wi thick pyntit petals (whaniver present).[2] The pollination is fir uisual performt bi insects, but wind pollination is present as weel (in Coriariaceae an Datiscaceae).
The order consists o aboot 2600 species in aicht faimilies. The lairgest faimilies are Begoniaceae (begonia faimily) wi 1400 species an Cucurbitaceae (gourd faimily) wi 825 species. The lairge faimilies o Cucurbitales include several economically important plants. Specifically, the Cucurbitaceae (gourd faimily) are responsible for some fuid species, siclik squash, pumpkin (baith frae Cucurbita), melons includin wattermelon (Citrullus vulgaris), an cucumber (Cucumis). The Begoniaceae are kent for thair horticultural species, o whilk thare are ower 130.