# Bessey system

A system of plant taxonomy, the Bessey system was published by Charles Bessey in 1915.

## Description

Bessey based his system on the tradition of de Candolle, Bentham and Hooker and Hallier. He was also influenced by Darwin and Wallace. He taught that taxonomy must be based on evolutionary principles. Like Wettstein he placed the Ranales at the origin of Angiospermae.
He considered Spermatophyta as having a polyphyletic origin, being composed by three different phyla, of which he only treated Anthophyta (syn.: Angiosperms). In that he used the same names for the subclasses of both monocotyledons and dicotyledons, this is contrary to contemporary rules on plant nomenclature that require names to be unique. However Bessey actually used a qualifying hyphenation (Alternifoliae-Strobiloideae and Oppositifoliae-Strobiloideae), a distinction not always recognised in reference to this scheme. With some modifications, most modern classifications - for example, those of Cronquist (1981, 1983, 1988), Takhtajan (1969, 1980, 1983, 1991), Stebbins (1974), R. Dahlgren (1975, 1980, 1983; R. Dahlgren et al. 1981; R. Dahlgren and F. N. Rasmussen 1983; R. Dahlgren and K. Bremer 1985; G. Dahlgren 1989), and Thorne (1976, 1981, 1983, 1992) - follow the Bessey tradition.

## Summary

    phylum Angiospermae
       1 classis Alternifoliae syn.:Monocotyledoneae
       2 classis Oppositifoliae syn.: Dicotyledoneae

## Alternifoliae

       1 classis Alternifoliae syn.:Monocotyledoneae
          1 subclassis Alternifoliae-Strobiloideae
                ordo Alismatales
                   Alismataceae
                   Butomaceae
                   Triuridaceae
                   Scheuchzeriaceae
                   Typhaceae
                   Sparganiaceae
                   Pandanaceae
                   Aponogetonaceae
                   Potamogetonaceae
                ordo Liliales
                   Liliaceae
                   Stemonaceae
                   Pontederiaceae
                   Cyanastraceae
                   Philydraceae
                   Commelinaceae
                   Xyridaceae
                   Mayacaceae
                   Juncaceae
                   Eriocaulaceae as Eriocaulonaceae [sic]
                   Thurniaceae
                   Rapateaceae
                   Najadaceae as Naiadaceae [sic]
                ordo Arales
                   Cyclanthaceae
                   Araceae
                   Lemnaceae
                ordo Palmales
                   Palmae as Palmaceae [sic]
                ordo Graminales
                   Restionaceae
                   Centrolepidaceae
                   Flagellariaceae
                   Cyperaceae
                   Poaceae
          2 subclassis Cotyloideae
                ordo Hydrales
                   Vallisneriaceae syn.: Hydrocharitaceae
                ordo Iridales
                   Amaryllidaceae
                   Haemodoraceae
                   Iridaceae
                   Velloziaceae
                   Taccaceae
                   Dioscoreaceae
                   Bromeliaceae
                   Musaceae
                   Zingiberaceae
                   Cannaceae
                   Marantaceae
                ordo Orchidales
                   Burmanniaceae
                   Orchidaceae

## Oppositifoliae

       2 classis Oppositifoliae syn.: Dicotyledoneae
          1 subclassis Oppositifoliae-Strobiloideae
             1 superordo Apopetalae-Polycarpellatae
                ordo Ranales
                   Magnoliaceae
                   Calycanthaceae
                   Monimiaceae
                   Cercidiphyllaceae
                   Trochodendraceae
                   Leitneriaceae
                   Annonaceae as Anonaceae [sic]
                   Lactoridaceae
                   Gomortegaceae
                   Myristicaceae
                   Saururaceae
                   Piperaceae
                   Lacistemaceae
                   Chloranthaceae
                   Ranunculaceae
                   Lardizabalaceae
                   Berberidaceae
                   Menispermaceae
                   Lauraceae
                   Nelumbonaceae as Nelumbaceae [sic]
                   Cabombaceae
                   Ceratophyllaceae
                   Dilleniaceae
                   Winteraceae as Winteranaceae [sic]
                ordo Malvales
                   Sterculiaceae
                   Malvaceae
                   Bombacaceae as Bombaceae [sic]
                   Scytopetalaceae
                   Chlaenaceae syn.: Sarcolaenaceae
                   Gonystylaceae
                   Tiliaceae
                   Elaeocarpaceae
                   Balanopaceae as Balanopsidaceae [sic]
                   Ulmaceae
                   Moraceae
                   Urticaceae
                ordo Sarraceniales
                   Sarraceniaceae
                   Nepenthaceae
                ordo Geraniales
                   Geraniaceae
                   Oxalidaceae
                   Tropaeolaceae
                   Balsaminaceae
                   Limnanthaceae
                   Linaceae
                   Humiriaceae
                   Rutaceae
                   Simaroubaceae as Simarubaceae [sic]
                   Burseraceae
                   Meliaceae
                   Malpighiaceae
                   Trigoniaceae
                   Vochysiaceae
                   Polygalaceae
                   Tremandraceae
                   Dichapetalaceae
                   Euphorbiaceae
                   Callitrichaceae
                ordo Guttiferales
                   Theaceae
                   Cistaceae
                   Guttiferae as Guttiferaceae [sic]
                   Eucryphiaceae
                   Ochnaceae
                   Dipterocarpaceae
                   Caryocaraceae
                   Quiinaceae
                   Marcgraviaceae
                   Flacourtiaceae
                   Bixaceae
                   Cochlospermaceae
                   Violaceae
                   Malesherbiaceae
                   Turneraceae
                   Passifloraceae
                   Achariaceae
                   Caricaceae
                   Stachyuraceae
                   Koeberliniaceae
                ordo Rhoeadales
                   Papaveraceae
                   Tovariaceae
                   Nymphaeaceae
                   Moringaceae
                   Resedaceae
                   Capparaceae as Capparidaceae [sic]
                   Brassicaceae
                ordo Caryophyllales
                   Caryophyllaceae
                   Elatinaceae
                   Portulacaceae
                   Aizoaceae
                   Frankeniaceae
                   Tamaricaceae
                   Salicaceae
                   Podostemaceae as Podostemonaceae [sic]
                   Hydrostachyaceae as Hydrostachydaceae [sic]
                   Phytolaccaceae
                   Basellaceae
                   Amaranthaceae
                   Chenopodiaceae
                   Polygonaceae
                   Nyctaginaceae
                   Cynocrambaceae syn.: Theligonaceae
                   Bataceae as Batidaceae [sic]
             2 superordo Sympetalae-Polycarpellatae
                ordo Ebenales
                   Sapotaceae
                   Ebenaceae
                   Symplocaceae
                   Styracaceae
                   Fouquieriaceae
                ordo Ericales
                   Clethraceae
                   Ericaceae
                   Epacridaceae
                   Diapensiaceae
                   Pyrolaceae
                   Lennoaceae
                ordo Primulales
                   Primulaceae
                   Plantaginaceae
                   Plumbaginaceae
                   Myrsinaceae
                   Theophrastaceae
             3 superordo Sympetalae-Dicarpellatae
                ordo Gentianales
                   Oleaceae
                   Salvadoraceae
                   Loganiaceae
                   Gentianaceae
                   Apocynaceae
                   Asclepiadaceae
                ordo Polemoniales
                   Polemoniaceae
                   Convolvulaceae
                   Hydrophyllaceae
                   Boraginaceae as Borraginaceae
                   Nolanaceae
                   Solanaceae
                ordo Scrophulariales
          2 subclassis Cotyloideae
             1 superordo Apopetalae
                ordo Rosales
                   Rosaceae
                   Malaceae
                   Prunaceae
                   Crossosomataceae
                   Connaraceae
                   Mimosaceae
                   Cassiaceae
                   Fabaceae
                   Saxifragaceae
                   Hydrangeaceae
                   Grossulariaceae
                   Crassulaceae
                   Droseraceae
                   Cephalotaceae
                   Pittosporaceae
                   Brunelliaceae
                   Cunoniaceae
                   Myrothamnaceae
                   Bruniaceae
                   Hamamelidaceae
                   Casuarinaceae
                   Eucommiaceae
                   Platanaceae
                ordo Myrtales
                   Lythraceae
                   Sonneratiaceae
                   Punicaceae
                   Lecythidaceae
                   Melastomataceae
                   Myrtaceae
                   Combretaceae
                   Rhizophoraceae
                   Oenotheraceae
                   Halorrhagidaceae
                   Hippuridaceae
                   Cynomoriaceae
                   Aristolochiaceae
                   Rafflesiaceae
                   Hydnoraceae
                ordo Loasales
                   Loasaceae
                   Cucurbitaceae
                   Begoniaceae
                   Datiscaceae
                   Ancistrocladaceae
                ordo Cactales
                   Cactaceae
                ordo Celastrales
                   Rhamnaceae
                   Vitaceae
                   Celastraceae
                   Buxaceae
                   Aquifoliaceae
                   Cyrillaceae
                   Pentaphylacaceae
                   Corynocarpaceae
                   Hippocrateaceae
                   Stackhousiaceae
                   Staphyleaceae
                   Geissolomataceae
                   Penaeaceae
                   Oliniaceae
                   Thymelaeaceae
                   Hernandiaceae
                   Elaeagnaceae
                   Myzodendraceae
                   Santalaceae
                   Opiliaceae
                   Grubbiaceae
                   Olacaceae
                   Loranthaceae
                   Balanophoraceae
                ordo Sapindales
                   Sapindaceae
                   Hippocastanaceae
                   Aceraceae
                   Sabiaceae
                   Icacinaceae
                   Melianthaceae
                   Empetraceae
                   Coriariaceae
                   Anacardiaceae
                   Juglandaceae
                   Betulaceae
                   Fagaceae
                   Myricaceae
                   Julianaceae
                   Proteaceae
                ordo Apiales as Umbellales
                   Araliaceae
                   Apiaceae
                   Cornaceae
             2 superordo Sympetalae
                ordo Rubiales
                   Rubiaceae
                   Caprifoliaceae
                   Adoxaceae
                   Valerianaceae
                   Dipsacaceae
                ordo Campanulales
                   Campanulaceae
                   Goodeniaceae
                   Stylidiaceae
                   Calyceraceae
                ordo Asterales
                   Helianthaceae
                   Ambrosiaceae
                   Heleniaceae
                   Arctotidaceae
                   Calendulaceae
                   Inulaceae
                   Asteraceae
                   Vernoniaceae
                   Eupatoriaceae
                   Anthemidaceae
                   Senecionidaceae
                   Carduaceae
                   Mutisiaceae
                   Lactucaceae