Brassicales

The Brassicales (or Cruciales) are an order of flowering plants, belonging to the malvid group of eudicotyledons under the APG IV system.^[2] Well-known members of Brassicales include cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, broccoli, kale, mustard, turnip, bok choy, rapeseed, radish, horseradish, caper, papaya, moringa or drumstick tree, mignonette, nasturtium, and arabidopsis.

Brassicales
Alliaria petiolata, garlic mustard (Brassicaceae)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Clade:	Malvids
Order:	Brassicales Bromhead[1]
Families
Akaniaceae Bataceae Brassicaceae Capparaceae Caricaceae Cleomaceae Emblingiaceae Gyrostemonaceae Koeberliniaceae Limnanthaceae Moringaceae Pentadiplandraceae Resedaceae Salvadoraceae Setchellanthaceae Tiganophytaceae Tovariaceae Tropaeolaceae

One character common to many members of the order is the production of isothiocyanate (mustard oil) compounds. Most systems of classification have included this order, although sometimes under the name Capparales (the name chosen depending on which is thought to have priority).^[3]

The order typically contains the following families:^[4]

• Akaniaceae – two species of turnipwood trees, native to Asia and eastern Australia
• Bataceae – salt-tolerant shrubs from America and Australasia
• Brassicaceae – mustard and cabbage family; may include the Cleomaceae
• Capparaceae – caper family, sometimes included in Brassicaceae
• Caricaceae – papaya family
• Cleomaceae^[1]
• Emblingiaceae
• Gyrostemonaceae – several genera of small shrubs and trees endemic to temperate parts of Australia
• Koeberliniaceae – one species of thorn bush native to Mexico and the US Southwest
• Limnanthaceae – meadowfoam family
• Moringaceae – thirteen species of trees from Africa and India including the drumstick
• Pentadiplandraceae – African species whose berries have two highly sweet tasting proteins
• Resedaceae – mignonette family
• Salvadoraceae – three genera found from Africa to Java
• Setchellanthaceae
• Tiganophytaceae
• Tovariaceae
• Tropaeolaceae – nasturtium family

Classification

The following diagram shows the phylogeny of the Brassicales families along with their estimated ages, based on a 2018 study of plastid DNA:^[5]

Brassicales families

36 Akaniaceae Tropaeolaceae  92  64 Moringaceae Caricaceae Setchellanthaceae  85 Limnanthaceae  78 Salvadoraceae Bataceae  73 Koeberliniaceae  66 Emblingiaceae  61  55 Pentadiplandraceae  46 Resedaceae Gyrostemonaceae Tovariaceae  49 Capparaceae  43 Cleomaceae Brassicaceae

Phylogentic relationships based on data from plastid DNA. The numbers next to each branching point indicate its estimated date (million years ago). Families with more than 30 species are in bold.

On 20 April 2020, a newly described monotypic species from Namibia, namely, Tiganophyton karasense Swanepoel, F.Forest & A.E. van Wyk is placed under this order as a monotypic member of new family Tiganophytaceae, which is closely related to Bataceae, Salvadoraceae and Koeberliniaceae.^[6]

Historic classifications

Under the Cronquist system, the Brassicales were called the Capparales, and included among the "Dilleniidae". The only families included were the Brassicaceae and Capparaceae (treated as separate families), the Tovariaceae, Resedaceae, and Moringaceae. Other taxa now included here were placed in various other orders.

The families Capparaceae and Brassicaceae are closely related. One group, consisting of Cleome and related genera, was traditionally included in the Capparaceae but doing so results in a paraphyletic Capparaceae.^[3] Therefore, this group is generally now either included in the Brassicaceae or as its own family, Cleomaceae.^[4][7]

Gallery of type genera

For etymologies, see List of plant family names with etymologies.

• 
  Akania bidwillii (turnipwood family)
• 
  Batis maritima (turtleweed family)
• 
  Brassica oleracea (cabbage family)
• 
  Capparis spinosa (caper family)
• 
  Carica papaya (papaya family)
• 
  Cleome hassleriana (spiderflower family)
• 
  Emblingia calceoliflora (slippercreeper family)
• 
  Gyrostemon ramulosis (buttoncreeper family)
• 
  Koeberlinia spinosa (allthorn family)
• 
  Limnanthes douglasii (meadowfoam family)
• 
  Moringa oleifera (horseradish-tree family)
• 
  Pentadiplandra brazzeana (oubli family)
• 
  Reseda lutea (mignonette family)
• 
  Salvadora persica (toothbrush-tree family)
• 
  Tovaria pendula (stinkbush family)
• 
  Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium family)

Setchellanthaceae is sometimes known as the azulita family.^[8]