In plant taxonomy, commelinids (originally commelinoids
) (plural, not capitalised) is a
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s within the
monocots
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of t ...
, distinguished by having cell walls containing
ferulic acid
Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, an organic compound with the formula (CH3O)HOC6H3CH=CHCO2H. The name is derived from the genus ''Ferula'', referring to the giant fennel (''Ferula communis''). Classified as a phenolic phytochemical, ferulic ...
.
The commelinids are the only clade that the
APG IV system
The APG IV system of flowering plant classification is the fourth version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). It was publishe ...
has informally named within the monocots. The remaining monocots are a
paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
unit. Also known as the commelinid monocots it forms one of three groupings within the monocots, and the final branch; the other two groups are the
alismatid monocots
Alismatid monocots (alismatids, basal monocots) is an informal name for a group of early branching (hence basal) monocots, consisting of two orders, the Acorales and Alismatales. The name has also been used to refer to the Alismatales alone. Mono ...
and the
lilioid monocots
Lilioid monocots (lilioids, liliid monocots, petaloid monocots, petaloid lilioid monocots) is an informal name used for a grade (grouping of taxa with common characteristics) of five monocot orders (Petrosaviales, Dioscoreales, Pandanales, L ...
.
Description
Members of the commelinid clade have
cell wall
A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...
s containing
UV-
fluorescent
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
ferulic acid
Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, an organic compound with the formula (CH3O)HOC6H3CH=CHCO2H. The name is derived from the genus ''Ferula'', referring to the giant fennel (''Ferula communis''). Classified as a phenolic phytochemical, ferulic ...
.
Taxonomy
The commelinids were first recognized as a formal group in 1967 by
Armen Takhtajan
Armen Leonovich Takhtajan or Takhtajian ( hy, Արմեն Լևոնի Թախտաջյան; russian: Армен Леонович Тахтаджян; surname also transliterated Takhtadjan, Takhtadzhi︠a︡n or Takhtadzhian, pronounced takh-tuh-JA ...
, who named them the Commelinidae and assigned them to a subclass of
Liliopsida
Liliopsida Batsch (synonym: Liliatae) is a botanical name for the class containing the family Liliaceae (or Lily Family). It is considered synonymous (or nearly synonymous) with the name monocotyledon. Publication of the name is credited to Scopol ...
(monocots).
The name was also used in the 1981
Cronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) a ...
. However, by the release of his 1980 system of classification, Takhtajan had merged this subclass into a larger one, and no longer considered it to be a clade.
Takhtajan system
The
Takhtajan system
A system of plant taxonomy, the Takhtajan system of plant classification was published by Armen Takhtajan, in several versions from the 1950s onwards. It is usually compared to the Cronquist system. It admits paraphyletic groups.
Systems
The ...
treated this as one of six subclasses within the class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida Batsch (synonym: Liliatae) is a botanical name for the class containing the family Liliaceae (or Lily Family). It is considered synonymous (or nearly synonymous) with the name monocotyledon. Publication of the name is credited to Scopol ...
(=
monocotyledon
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...
s). It consisted of the following:
subclass Commelinidae
superorder
Bromelianae
Bromeliales is an order of flowering plants. Such an order has been recognized by a few systems of plant taxonomy, with a various placement. It appears that it always has had the same circumscription:
consisting only of the family Bromeliacea ...
order
Bromeliales
Bromeliales is an order of flowering plants. Such an order has been recognized by a few systems of plant taxonomy, with a various placement. It appears that it always has had the same circumscription:
consisting only of the family Bromeliacea ...
order
Velloziales
superorder
Pontederianae
order
Philydrales
order
Pontederiales
order
Haemodorales
Commelinales is an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of sp ...
superorder
Zingiberanae
The Zingiberales are flowering plants forming one of four orders in the commelinids clade of monocots, together with its sister order, Commelinales. The order includes 68 genera and 2,600 species. Zingiberales are a unique though morphologi ...
order
Musales
order
Lowiales
order
Zingiberales
The Zingiberales are flowering plants forming one of four orders in the commelinids clade of monocots, together with its sister order, Commelinales. The order includes 68 genera and 2,600 species. Zingiberales are a unique though morphological ...
order
Cannales
The Zingiberales are flowering plants forming one of four orders in the commelinids clade of monocots, together with its sister order, Commelinales. The order includes 68 genera and 2,600 species. Zingiberales are a unique though morphological ...
superorder
Commelinanae
Commelinales is an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of sp ...
order
Commelinales
Commelinales is an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of speci ...
order
Mayacales
order
Xyridales
The Poales are a large order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botanists to be part of Poales.
Description ...
order
Rapateales
order
Eriocaulales
The Poales are a large order (biology), order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the Poaceae, grasses, bromeliads, and Cyperaceae, sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botani ...
superorder
Hydatellanae
order
Hydatellales
Hydatellales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. In the Cronquist system, 1981, the name was used for an order placed in the subclass Commelinidae in class Liliopsida monocotyledons The order consisted of one family only:
* orde ...
superorder
Juncanae
Lilianae (also known as Liliiflorae) is a botanical name for a superorder (that is, a rank higher than that of order) of flowering plants. Such a superorder of necessity includes the type family Liliaceae (and usually the type order Liliales). ...
order
Juncales
Juncales is an order of flowering plants. In the Engler system (update, of 1964) and in the Cronquist system (of 1981, which placed this order in subclass Commelinidae) it is circumscribed as:
* order Juncales
*: family Juncaceae
*: family Thur ...
order
Cyperales
The Poales are a large order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botanists to be part of Poales.
Descriptio ...
superorder
Poanae
order
Flagellariales
order
Restionales {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009
''Restionales'' is an order of flowering plants. In the Cronquist system (of 1981) it is used for an order (in subclass ''Commelinidae'') and circumscribed as:
* order ''Restionales''
*: family ''Flagellariaceae ...
order
Centrolepidales
order
Poales
The Poales are a large order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botanists to be part of Poales.
Descriptio ...
Cronquist system
The
Cronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) a ...
treated this as one of four subclasses within the class Liliopsida. It consisted of the following:
subclass Commelinidae
order
Commelinales
Commelinales is an order of flowering plants. It comprises five families: Commelinaceae, Haemodoraceae, Hanguanaceae, Philydraceae, and Pontederiaceae. All the families combined contain over 885 species in about 70 genera; the majority of speci ...
order
Eriocaulales
The Poales are a large order (biology), order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the Poaceae, grasses, bromeliads, and Cyperaceae, sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botani ...
order
Restionales {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009
''Restionales'' is an order of flowering plants. In the Cronquist system (of 1981) it is used for an order (in subclass ''Commelinidae'') and circumscribed as:
* order ''Restionales''
*: family ''Flagellariaceae ...
order
Juncales
Juncales is an order of flowering plants. In the Engler system (update, of 1964) and in the Cronquist system (of 1981, which placed this order in subclass Commelinidae) it is circumscribed as:
* order Juncales
*: family Juncaceae
*: family Thur ...
order
Cyperales
The Poales are a large order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the grasses, bromeliads, and sedges. Sixteen plant families are currently recognized by botanists to be part of Poales.
Descriptio ...
order
Hydatellales
Hydatellales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. In the Cronquist system, 1981, the name was used for an order placed in the subclass Commelinidae in class Liliopsida monocotyledons The order consisted of one family only:
* orde ...
order
Typhales
''Typhales'' is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants. In the Cronquist system the name was used for an order placed in the subclass ''Commelinidae''. The order consisted of (1981):
* order ''Typhales''
*: family ''Sparganiaceae''
* ...
APG system
The
APG II system
The APG II system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II system) of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Gro ...
does not use formal botanical names above the
rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* H ...
of order; most of the members were assigned to the clade commelinids in the monocots (its predecessor, the
APG system
The APG system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) of plant classification is the first version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy. Published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it was replaced by the improved AP ...
used the clade commelinoids).
The commelinids now constitute a well-supported clade within the monocots,
and this clade has been recognized in all four APG classification systems.
Subdivision
The commelinids of APG II (2003) and
APG III APG is an abbreviation with several different meanings:
* Aberdeen Proving Ground, a United States Army installation in Aberdeen, Maryland, also
** Phillips Army Airfield, the airfield of the above, from its IATA airport code
* Aboriginal Provisiona ...
(2009) contain essentially the same plants as the commelinoids of the earlier
APG system
The APG system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) of plant classification is the first version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy. Published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it was replaced by the improved AP ...
(1998).
In
APG IV
The APG IV system of flowering plant classification is the fourth version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). It was publishe ...
(2016) the family
Dasypogonaceae
Dasypogonaceae is a family of flowering plants, one that has not been commonly recognized by taxonomists; the plants it contains were usually included in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae. If valid, Dasypogonaceae includes four genera with 16 species.
...
is no longer directly placed under commelinids but instead a family of order
Arecales
Arecales is an order of flowering plants. The order has been widely recognised only for the past few decades; until then, the accepted name for the order including these plants was Principes.
Taxonomy
The APG IV system of 2016 places Dasypogona ...
.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q868546, from2=Q1115272
Plant unranked clades