Ericales

Lore & Background

The Ericales include trees, bushes, lianas, and herbaceous plants. Alongside ordinary autophytic plants, the order contains chlorophyll-deficient mycoheterotrophic plants (e.g., Sarcodes sanguinea) and carnivorous plants (e.g., genus Sarracenia). Mycorrhizal associations are common, with three kinds of mycorrhiza found exclusively among Ericales: ericoid, arbutoid, and monotropoid. Some families are notable for their exceptional ability to accumulate aluminum. Many species have five petals, often grown together, a trait traditionally used to place the order in the subclass Sympetalae.

Reader's Guide

The Ericales are a cosmopolitan order, with families distributed from the tropics to Arctic or temperate regions. The most commercially used plant in the order is tea (Camellia sinensis) from the family Theaceae. Edible fruits include kiwifruit, persimmon, blueberry, huckleberry, cranberry, Brazil nut, and Mamey sapote. Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) is a major dietary lipid source for millions of sub-Saharan Africans. Many species are cultivated for showy flowers, such as azalea, Rhododendron, Camellia, heather, Primula, Cyclamen, Phlox, and busy Lizzie. The order's classification has been revised; under the Cronquist system, Ericales included a smaller group of plants placed among the Dilleniidae.

Did You Know?

• The Ericales include chlorophyll-deficient mycoheterotrophic plants such as Sarcodes sanguinea.
• Three kinds of mycorrhiza (ericoid, arbutoid, monotropoid) are found exclusively among Ericales.
• The order contains over 8,000 species, with the Ericaceae family accounting for 2,000–4,000 species.
• Some Ericales families are notable for their exceptional ability to accumulate aluminum.