Amentiferae | 2026 Release |

: The group is "artificial" because catkin-bearing evolved convergently. For instance, Salicaceae is now known to be unrelated to the "core" amentiferous plants and is placed in the order Malpighiales.

: Almost exclusively woody plants, ranging from small shrubs to massive forest trees. Modern Scientific Status amentiferae

: Flowers are typically unisexual and highly simplified, often lacking petals or having insignificant sepals. : The group is "artificial" because catkin-bearing evolved

: Most former Amentiferae (oaks, birches, walnuts) are now placed in the order Fagales , which is part of the Rosid I clade. Modern Scientific Status : Flowers are typically unisexual

(or Amentaceae) is a historically significant but now largely obsolete botanical group of woody plants characterized by bearing catkins (aments). While once considered a natural evolutionary group, modern molecular phylogenetics has revealed it to be an artificial collection of unrelated families that independently evolved similar wind-pollination traits. Historical Classification and "Canonical" Families