ABSTRACT
A few outlying orders Buxales, Gunnerales, Nelumbonales, Proteales, Ranunculales, and Trochodendrales represent the tricolpate taxa. Among these outliers, Gunnerales are regarded as "core eudicots", with the other orders referred to as "basal tricolpates"; Ranunculales resolve as the sister group to the entire assemblage. This chapter discusses the families of the order Ranunculales and Nelumbonales. It describes the etymology, synonyms, distribution, diversity, indicators, habitat, key morphology, life history, imperilment, ecology and economic importance of these families. A number of studies place the Ranunculales group as the sister to the remainder of the tricolpate dicotyledons. The majority of the order comprises terrestrial species. The chapter includes twelve genera containing obligate wetland (OBL) indicators in North America: Aconitum L., Aquilegia L., Caltha L., Clematis L., Coptidium (Prantl) Beurl. ex Rydb., Delphinium L., Halerpestes Greene, Kumlienia Greene, Myosurus L., Ranunculus L., Thalictrum L., and Trollius L. Nelumbonales contains a single family, Nelumbonaceae and genus Nelumbo, it has experienced a convoluted taxonomic history.
