Santalales
The
Santalales are an order of
flowering plants, belonging to the dicotyledons. Most are partially
parasitic - they can produce food through
photosynthesis, but tap the stems of roots of other plants to obtain water. Most have seeds without testa, which is unusual for angiosperms. The following families are typical of newer classification schemes:
In the older
Cronquist system, some of the Santalaceae are recognized as separate families, called
Viscaceae and Eremolepidaceae. Three other families were also included:
- Family Medusandraceae
- Family Dipentodontaceae
- Family Balanophoraceae
These are no longer considered close relatives of the Santalaceae, but at the moment their placement is still uncertain.
