The Laurales are an order of flowering plants. They are a basal group of dicots, closely related to the Magnoliales. Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... Orders see text Dicotyledons or dicots are flowering plants whose seed contains two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. ... Families Annonaceae Degeneriaceae Eupomatiaceae Himantandraceae Magnoliaceae Myristicaceae The Magnoliales are an order of flowering plants. ...

The order includes about 85-90 genera, which comprise seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate zone. The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... A willow shrub A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ...

The earliest lauraceous fossils are from to the early Cretaceous. It is possible that the ancient origin of this order is one of the reasons for its highly diverged morphology. Indeed, presently no single morphological property is known, which would unify all the members of Laurales. This fact used to cause much argument among botanists regarding the correct circumscription of the order, and the presently accepted classification is based on recent molecular and genetic analysis. A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ... The Cretaceous period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic period (about 146 MYA) to the beginning of the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary period (65. ...

The following families are included in newer systems:

• Family Atherospermataceae
• Family Calycanthaceae
• Family Gomortegaceae
• Family Hernandiaceae
• Family Lauraceae (laurel family)
• Family Monimiaceae
• Family Siparunaceae

Under the older Cronquist system, the Laurales included a slightly different set of families (current placement, where different, in brackets): genera Atherosperma Daphnandra Doryphora Dryadodaphne Laurelia Laureliopsis Nemuaron The Atherospermataceae, commonly known as the southern sassafrases, are a family of broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs. ... Genera Calycanthus Chimonanthus Idiospermum Sinocalycanthus The Calycanthaceae (sweetshrub or spicebush family) is a small family of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. ... Genera Many; see text The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. ... Binomial name Laurus nobilis L. The Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae), also known as True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, or just Laurel, is an evergreen tree or large shrub reaching 10-18 m tall, native to the Mediterranean region. ... genera Austromatthaea Decarydendron Ephippiandra Faikea Hedycarya Hennecartia Hortonia Kairoa Kibara Kibaropsis Lauterbachia Levieria Macropeplus Macrotorus Matthaea Mollinedia Monimia Palmeria Parakibara Peumus Steganthera Tambourissa Tetrasynandra Wilkiea Xymalos Monimiaceae is a family of flowering plants, which includes 150-220 species of shrubs and small trees in 18-25 genera. ... The Cronquist system is a scheme for the classification of flowering plants (or angiosperms). ...

• Family Amborellaceae (Order Amborellales)
• Family Calycanthaceae
• Family Gomortegaceae
• Family Hernandiaceae
• Family Idiospermaceae (= Calycanthaceae pro parte)
• Family Lauraceae
• Family Monimiaceae (Cronquist included Atherospermataceae and Siparunaceae in Monimiaceae)
• Family Trimeniaceae (unplaced in basal group)

Binomial name Amborella trichopoda Amborella trichopoda is a rare shrub found only in New Caledonia. ... Binomial name Amborella trichopoda Amborella trichopoda is a rare shrub found only in New Caledonia. ... Genera Calycanthus Chimonanthus Idiospermum Sinocalycanthus The Calycanthaceae (sweetshrub or spicebush family) is a small family of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. ... Binomial name Idiospermum australiense (Diels) S.T.Blake Idiospermum australiense, the sole species in the genus Idiospermum, is one of the most primitive flowering plants known, having lived in the Daintree Rainforest of Queensland, Australia for 120 million years. ... Genera Many; see text The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. ... genera Austromatthaea Decarydendron Ephippiandra Faikea Hedycarya Hennecartia Hortonia Kairoa Kibara Kibaropsis Lauterbachia Levieria Macropeplus Macrotorus Matthaea Mollinedia Monimia Palmeria Parakibara Peumus Steganthera Tambourissa Tetrasynandra Wilkiea Xymalos Monimiaceae is a family of flowering plants, which includes 150-220 species of shrubs and small trees in 18-25 genera. ...

References

• K. J. Perleb (1826). Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs p. 174. Magner, Freiburg im Breisgau, Deutschland.
• Renner, Susanne S (May 2001) Laurales. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group. doi:10.1038/npg.els.0003695 Abstract, Full text (pdf).
• Renner S. S. (1999). Circumscription and phylogeny of the Laurales: evidence from molecular and morphological data. American Journal of Botany 86 (9): 1301-1315. Abstract, Full text (pdf).
• Endress P. K., Igersheim A. (1997). Gynoecium diversity and systematics of the Laurales. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 125 (2): 93-168. doi:10.1006/bojl.1997.0113 Abstract.