Amentiferae Here

(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

: Male flowers (and sometimes female) are borne in catkins —tassel-like, often pendulous spikes of reduced flowers. amentiferae

: Most former Amentiferae (oaks, birches, walnuts) are now placed in the order Fagales , which is part of the Rosid I clade. (or Amentaceae) is a historically significant but now

: 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. : Most former Amentiferae (oaks, birches, walnuts) are

Contemporary research, such as the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) classification, has dismantled the Amentiferae as a formal taxon:

: Fossil evidence indicates that recognizable members of this group emerged primarily in the Late Cretaceous period. Paleobotanical Significance Fossil forms of Amentiferae | Brittonia - Springer Nature

The term was most influential in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly under the systems of botanists like Eichler. It typically included: : Birches and alders. Fagaceae : Oaks, beeches, and chestnuts. Juglandaceae : Walnuts and hickories. Salicaceae : Willows and poplars. Casuarinaceae : Beefwoods or she-oaks. Myricaceae : Bog myrtles. Key Biological Characteristics