a group of families of mostly flowers having basal or central placentation and trinucleate pollen (binucleate pollen is commoner in flowering plants)
contains 14 families including: Caryophyllaceae (carnations and pinks)
Aizoaceae
Amaranthaceae
Batidaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Cactaceae (order Opuntiales)
Nyctaginaceae
Phytolaccaceae
corresponds approximately to order Caryophyllales
sometimes classified as a superorder - subclass caryophyllidae