Ericales

/ɛrɪˈkeɪliːz/ noun

Definition

A large order of flowering plants that includes the Ericaceae family plus several other plant families, sharing certain evolutionary characteristics.

Etymology

From Erica plus -ales (the standard botanical suffix for plant orders), indicating a high taxonomic rank above family.

Kelly Says

Ericales represents an ancient lineage of plants that split off over 100 million years ago—they're related to tea plants, mangroves, and even rubber trees despite looking completely different.

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