An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta, in the eudicots. Consisting of three families, the order is one of the most controversial in current classifications, with a lack of obvious morphological characters linking the family Nelumbonaceae (two species) to the other two families, Platanaceae (seven species) and Proteaceae (about 1350 species). However, DNA sequences indicate that the three families form a natural group, and detailed studies have revealed that Platanaceae and Proteaceae share similar wood anatomy.