Hierarchical Classification

For those who may be interested, a hierarchical classification of the Universoty of Richmond campus inventory of woody angiosperm families (plus Ginkgo) is presented below. The classification follows Cronquist (1981).

Users of this page should realize that biological classifications are neither perfect nor static. Biological classification systems are elaborate hypotheses about how organisms are related to each other in genetic/evolutionary terms. Just as any hypothesis is subject to modification as new data comes to light, classifications change through time reflecting the steady growth of our knowledge about organisms. Presently, plant systematics is accumulating floods of molecular data that are being applied to questions of relationships, phylogenetics and, ultimately, classification. Cronquist's classification was selected for pragmatic reasons. While it does not reflect insights from recent molecular data, it is a comprehensive and thoroughly documented system, it has been widely adopted for floristic projects around the world, and, most importantly for our purposes, it forms the basis for organization of plant specimens in the University of Richmond herbarium (URV). The material presented below is merely an excerpted/edited version of the complete classification: only those orders and families that occur on the University of Richmond campus are included.

Those interested in other, more recent classification systems should visit the Tree of Life page at the University of Arizona, and similar pages, as well as consult relevant published sources, such as Zomlefer (1994) as cited.

Classification hierarchy:

Kingdom --> Division/Phylum --> Class --> Order --> Family --> Genus --> Species

Kingdom Plantae

Division Ginkgophyta Class Ginkgopsida Division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae) Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) Subclass Magnoliidae Order Magnoliales Order Laurales Order Ranunculales Subclass Hamamelidae Order Hamamelidae Order Fagales Order Myricales Order Urticales Order Juglandales Subclass Caryophyllidae

Subclass Dilleniidae

Order Theales
Order Malvales Order Salicales Order Ericales Order Ebenales Subclass Rosidae Order Rosales Order Fabales Order Myrtales Order Cornales Order Celastrales Order Euphorbiales Order Rhamnales Order Sapindales Order Apiales Order Proteales Subclass Asteridae Order Gentianales Order Lamiales Order Scrophulariales Order Rubiales Order Dipsacales