An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), of the subclass Arecidae in the class Liliopsida (monocotyledons). The name of the subclass is derived from the ordinal name. The order consists of the single family Arecaceae (Palmae), the palms, with more than 200 genera and nearly 3000 species, largely confined to tropical and subtropical regions. The order Arecales has also been called Palmales or Principes.