Brassicales - online puzzles

The Brassicales (or Cruciales) are an order of flowering plants, belonging to the eurosids II group of dicotyledons under the APG II system. One character common to many members of the order is the production of glucosinolate (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).

The order typically contains the following families:

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

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

Pentadiplandraceae - African species whose berries have two highly sweet tasting proteins

Resedaceae – mignonette family

Salvadoraceae - three genera found from Africa to Java

Setchellanthaceae

Tovariaceae

Tropaeolaceae – nasturtium family

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. Therefore, this group is generally now either included in the Brassicaceae or as its own family, Cleomaceae.