One of the largest orders of the rosid eudicotyledons, comprising more than 30 families. Distributed worldwide, this order has never before encompassed this composition. Recent analyses of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences, both plastid and nuclear, led to its recognition, even though the group is highly heterogeneous and difficult to characterize. The largest families are Euphorbiaceae (8000 species), Clusiaceae (1400), Malpighiaceae (1100), Flacourtiaceae (900), and Violaceae (850). Most of the order is composed of woody species, many of regional importance as timber and medicines. Several of the smaller families are significant as well, including Salicaceae (used as coppice, and the original source of aspirin) and Rhizophoraceae (the ecologically significant mangroves).