Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A taxonomic order of flowering plants: "order Arales" is the scientific name for a botanical order that historically included families such as Araceae (the arum family) and Lemnaceae (the duckweed family). In modern taxonomic systems, this grouping is often revised.

Usage Notes

• The term "order Arales" is used primarily in scientific and botanical contexts. It follows the conventions of biological classification, where "order" is a rank and "Arales" is the specific name.
• It is a formal, technical term. In contemporary taxonomy, the families once grouped under Arales are sometimes placed in the order Alismatales.

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The water lettuce, a floating plant, was classified within the order Arales.
  • Botanists studied the evolutionary relationships of families in the order Arales.

Advanced Usage

• Historical vs. Modern Classification: The usage of "order Arales" may refer to a historical classification system. In current phylogenetic studies, this grouping is not always recognized as a distinct, monophyletic order.
  • The family Araceae, once central to the order Arales, is now often placed in the order Alismatales.

Variants and Related Words

• Arales (n): The core taxonomic name, often used synonymously with "order Arales."
• Araceae (n): The arum family, a key family historically within this order.
• Lemnaceae (n): The duckweed family, another family historically included.

Synonyms

• Arales (in taxonomic contexts)

Related Terms

• Taxonomic rank: Terms like family, genus, and species are related hierarchical levels in biological classification.
• Alismatales: The order that now commonly includes the Araceae family in many modern systems.

Noun

1. Araceae; Lemnaceae