List of euasterid families



The euasterids or core asterids are a group of 69 interrelated families in 15 orders of flowering plants. They tend to have petals that are fused with each other and with the bases of the stamens, and just one integument (covering) around the embryo sac. The asterids as a whole (the euasterids plus two orders of basal asterids) represent almost a third of all flowering plant species.

The euasterids include trees, shrubs, vines and herbaceous perennials and annuals. Sweet potatoes are a tropical staple food. Basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme and peppermint are all kitchen herbs in the mint family. Olives have been cultivated around the Mediterranean for food and oil for at least five thousand years. The daisy family includes lettuce, artichokes, Stevia, sunflowers and tarragon.

Glossary
From the glossary of botanical terms:
 * annual: a plant species that completes its life cycle within a single year or growing season
 * basal: attached close to the base (of a plant or an evolutionary tree diagram)
 * climber: a vine that leans on, twines around or clings to other plants for vertical support
 * deciduous: falling seasonally, as with bark, leaves, or petals
 * glandular hair: a hair tipped with a secretory structure
 * herbaceous: not woody; usually green and soft in texture
 * mangrove: any shrub or small tree growing in brackish or salt water
 * perennial: not an annual or biennial
 * succulent (adjective): juicy or fleshy
 * unisexual: of one sex; bearing only male or only female reproductive organs
 * woody: hard and lignified; not herbaceous

The APG IV system is the fourth in a series of plant taxonomies from the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. In this system, the euasterids are divided into the lamiids and the campanulids. The order Icacinales is basal within the lamiids.

Six euasterid orders have more than two families: Apiales, Aquifoliales, Asterales, Gentianales, Lamiales and Solanales. Apiales and Asterales are exceptionally diverse, with 2342 genera between them. Aquifoliales is basal within the campanulids. Gentianales species have pitted wood and opposite leaves that are joined across the stem. In Lamiales, plants are mostly herbaceous with opposite leaves, and the five-lobed flowers have approximate mirror-image symmetry. Solanales species usually have sepals that continue to grow with age, even when the plant is fruiting.