An order of flowering plants in the core eudicots. The order consists of 10 families and more than 5500 species. The circumscription of the order has been altered greatly in recent years, largely on the basis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence data. Of the five families in the traditional concept (Bombacaceae, Malvaceae, Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae, and Elaeocarpaceae), the first four have been combined as Malvaceae, due to lack of monophyly of three of these families in their traditional circumscription; and Elaeocarpaceae are included in Oxalidales. In addition, other families have been transferred to Malvales, including Dipterocarpaceae and Thymelaeaceae. The expanded order is characterized by the presence of mucilage in epidermal cells and cavities; and of palmate leaves, stellate hairs, and numerous stamens with partially fused filaments occur frequently.