Ranunculales

Ranunculales is an order of flowering plants within the eudicots. In modern classifications it is treated as one of the early-diverging lineages of angiosperms, often referred to as the basal eudicots. The order includes several families, the best known being Ranunculaceae (buttercups, anemones, and clematis) and Papaveraceae (poppies). Other families commonly placed in Ranunculales include Berberidaceae and a number of smaller lineages; exact composition varies among classification systems.

Members of Ranunculales are predominantly herbaceous, with a worldwide distribution but greatest diversity in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Growth forms range from low-growing perennials to woody climbers and shrubs. Floral morphology is diverse, but many taxa have flowers with undifferentiated tepals and numerous stamens; the gynoecium is often apocarpous with several carpels.

From a phylogenetic perspective, Ranunculales is significant because molecular studies place it among the early branches of the eudicots, contributing to our understanding of the early evolution of this major angiosperm group. The fossil record for Ranunculales is sparse but indicates diversification during the Cretaceous. Several members have ethnobotanical or economic importance, with ornamentals in the Ranunculaceae and various medicinal or chemical uses in other families.