Lamiales

Lamiales is an order of flowering plants within the asterids, a large clade of eudicots. It is among the most diverse orders of angiosperms, including herbs, shrubs, and woody climbers, with a worldwide distribution though most abundant in temperate and tropical regions. In modern classifications such as the APG system, Lamiales comprises multiple families that collectively contain thousands of species. Notable families include Lamiaceae (the mints), Oleaceae (olives and jasmine), Plantaginaceae (plantains and foxgloves), Verbenaceae, Acanthaceae, Bignoniaceae, Lentibulariaceae, and Orobanchaceae; Scrophulariaceae in older systems has been split and redistributed among Plantaginaceae and Orobanchaceae. The circumscription of the order continues to evolve with molecular phylogenetics.

Genera within Lamiales show considerable morphological diversity, but several features are common. Leaves are typically opposite or whorled, and many species have interpetiolar stipules. Flowers are often zygomorphic or bilaterally symmetrical, with a tubular, bilabiate, or otherwise specialized corolla, and are usually arranged in inflorescences such as racemes or panicles. The fruit is commonly a capsule or a retention of a seed within a pod.

Lamiales plays important ecological roles as nectar sources for pollinators and, in some lineages such as Orobanchaceae, as parasitic plants. Economic importance is substantial: Lamiaceae includes culinary herbs such as mint, thyme, and basil; Oleaceae provides olives and ornamentals; Plantaginaceae and Bignoniaceae contribute horticultural and timber resources; Lentibulariaceae contains aquatic carnivorous plants.