A Comparison of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group Classification (2003) with System of Takhtajan (1997) and Cronquist (1988)

A tabular comparison of the classification of the superordinal groups, orders and families of angiosperms by the APG II (2003), Takhtajan (1997) and Cronquist (1988) is presented. The linear sequence of the orders (45) and families (453) is that of the APG. The APG provided a new model of phylogenetic classification. The framework of Superordinal groups such as Magnoliids, Monocots. Cornmelinids, Eudicots, Rosids and Asterids is fully resolved. But many details for understanding the relationships between many of the basal clades of angiosperms, among major eudicot lineages, and many orders such as Malpighiales and Asterales remain to be resolved. Thus, all the accepted order and family names are listed in alphabetical order. Under the superordinal groups there are listed a number of families (32) without assignment to orders, as their ordinal positions are still unclear to the APG. For the present purpose 2 superordinal groups such as "Basal families" and "Prorosids" and 25 additional ordinal names are optionally adopted with quotation-marks/question mark, italics and parenthesis. Nevertheless seven ordinal positions remain unnamed. Monocots are placed between the Magnoliids and the Eudicots. The APG updated 19 orders with new consignment of families. They have emended (recircumscribed, expanded or restricted) 65 families. There are fifty five (55) square bracketing families below these updated 65 families with which they may be merged or relegated. The APG widely shifted 23 families and deleted about 46 popular families in favour of other broadly circumscribed families. Nineteen (19) obsolete families are reinserted along with a fresh list of 'taxa incertae sedis' of four families and 13 genera. The demise of Avicenniaceae and Flacourtiaceae, the restriction of Euphorbiaceae to the uniovutate subfamilies and the addition and alteration in Scrophulariaceae are noteworthy. The placement of Ebenaceae and Ericaceae in a larger clade Asterids (= sympetale) is a reversion to the earlier concept.