Brassicales

Brassicales is an order of eudicots introduced by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Replaces Capparales.

Its species present dialipetalous, syncarpic flowers, frequently parietal placentation, evident perianth, and cells with myrosinase (enzyme that by hydrolysis of glucosinolates synthesizes sulfur compounds called mustards).

Includes the following families:

At APG III, 2009

Order Brassicales Bromhead, 1838

• Akaniaceae Stapf,1912
• (Bretschneideraceae Engl. & Gilg) - optionally included in the previous
• Bataceae Mart. ex Perleb, 1838
• Brassicaceae Burnett, 1835
• Capparaceae Juss., 1789
• Caricaceae Dumort., 182)
• Cleomaceae Bercht. & J.Presl, 1825
• Emblingiaceae J.Agardh, 1958
• Gyrostemonaceae A.Juss., 1845
• Koeberliniaceae Engl., 1895
• Limnanthaceae R.Br., 1833
• Moringaceae Martinov, 1820
• Pentadiplandraceae Hutch. & Dalziel, 1928
• Resedaceae Martinov, 1820
• Salvador Lindaceael., 1836
• Setchellanthaceae Iltis, 1999
• Tovariaceae Pax, 1891
• Tropaeolaceae Juss. ex DC., 1824

In APG II, 2003 it only included:

• Akaniaceae
• (Bretschneideraceae) - optionally included in the previous
• Bataceae
• Brassicaceae (= Cruciferae(including Capparaceae)
• Caricaceae
• Emblingiaceae
• Gyrostemonaceae
• Koeberliniaceae
• Limnanthaceae
• Moringaceae
• Pentadiplandaceae
• Resedaceae
• Salvadoraceae
• Setchellanthaceae
• Tovariaceae
• Tropaeolaceae

Under the old Cronquist System (1981) (1988), Brassicales were called Capparales and included among the Dilleniidae. The only families it included were the Brassicaceae and Capparaceae (no longer considered separately) and the Tovariaceae, Resedaceae, and Moringaceae. The other families classified here were placed in different orders.

The families Capparaceae and Brassicaceae are closely related. One group, consisting of Cleome and related genera, was traditionally included in the Capparaceae, but doing so results in a paraphyletic Capparaceae, so this group is now generally included in the Brassicaceae or as its own family, Cleomaceae.

On April 20, 2020, a recently described monotypic species from Namibia, Tiganophyton karasense Swanepoel, F.Forest & A.E. van Wyk is included in this order as a monotypic member of the new family Tiganophytaceae, closely related to the Bataceae, Salvadoraceae, and Koeberliniaceae.