Contortae

Contortae is a taxonomic name that has historically been used in botanical classification, particularly within the plant family Proteaceae. The term refers to a series of plants characterized by their distinctive, twisted or contorted flower parts, especially the petals or tepals.

The use of "Contortae" as a formal taxonomic rank (e.g., order or suborder) is largely outdated. Modern phylogenetic analyses, which utilize DNA sequencing and other molecular data, have led to a reorganization of plant classifications. While the characteristic of contorted flower parts remains a useful morphological descriptor, it is no longer considered a defining trait for a specific clade or lineage within the Proteaceae or broader angiosperm classification.

Historically, classifications using "Contortae" aimed to group together Proteaceae genera sharing the contorted petal morphology. However, convergent evolution – where unrelated species independently develop similar traits – can lead to misleading groupings. Therefore, features like petal twisting are now considered alongside a wider range of data to determine evolutionary relationships.

The term "contortae" may still be used informally by botanists to describe the flower morphology of certain species, even if those species are not grouped together in a formal taxonomic classification based solely on that trait. For example, one might describe the flowers of a particular Banksia species as having a "contortae" arrangement of tepals, referring to their twisted or coiled appearance.