They have alternatively been considered to be close relatives of rosids, asterids, or Santalales and are best regarded at this time simply as one of the major clades of core eudicots (e.g., D. Soltis et al. 2000). (eol.org)
Relationships of Caryophyllales to other major clades of eudicots remain unclear. (eol.org)
«Either the plant was very rare, and we just missed its pollen,» Jud says, «or it's possible that eudicot leaves evolved before (three - pored) pollen did.» (sciencedaily.com)