Malpighiales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malpighiales |
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Malpighiales
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The Malpighiales are a very large group of flowering plants. In biology, a group like this is called an order. Think of it like a big family tree for plants! Scientists have placed Malpighiales within an even larger group called Eurosids I. This classification comes from the APG, which is a team of scientists who study how flowering plants are related to each other.
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What are Malpighiales?
The Malpighiales order is incredibly diverse. This means it includes many different kinds of plants that might not look alike at first glance. For example, it contains delicate violets and tall willow trees. It also includes plants that give us tasty fruits like passionfruit. Even mangrove trees, which grow in salty coastal waters, are part of this group.
A Diverse Plant Family
You might be surprised to learn that poinsettias, famous for their bright red leaves around holidays, belong to Malpighiales. So does flax, a plant used to make linen fabric and healthy oils. This shows how many different shapes, sizes, and uses plants in this order have. They grow in many different parts of the world and in various climates.
Plants That Protect Themselves
One interesting member of the Malpighiales order is the plant genus Euphorbia. Some Euphorbia species have natural ways to protect themselves. For instance, Euphorbia maculata, Euphorbia esula, and Euphorbia heterophylla contain substances that can be irritating or harmful if touched or eaten. This is their way of stopping animals from munching on them! It's a natural defense mechanism that helps them survive in the wild.
How Scientists Group Plants
The way scientists group plants, like putting Malpighiales into the Eurosids I group, helps us understand their relationships. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) uses modern scientific methods, including DNA studies, to figure out these connections. This helps us build a more accurate "family tree" for all flowering plants on Earth. It's like solving a giant puzzle to see how all life is connected.
Images for kids
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Aspidopterys cordata (Malpighiaceae)
See also
In Spanish: Malpighiales para niños
