Our phylogenetic analyses of Dipsacales, based on 6,500 base pairs of chloroplast DNA, provide a well resolved, well supported phylogenetic hypothesis for the major lineages. An additional dataset from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear genome provides additional support for several relationships that were not as strongly supported by the chloroplast data alone (e.g., Heptacodium as sister to Caprifolieae). A combined analysis yields a tree in which nearly every branch is supported with a bootstrap value of 100%. This provides a solid backbone for the assembly of a supertree that draws together analyses of included clades based on a variety of data types. The result is a tree of about one quarter of the more than 1,000 species of Dipsacales, which well represents all of the major lineages. Using this framework we analyze trends in character evolution, including vegetative and reproductive traits. While the direction of evolution is easily determined for many characters (e.g. woody to herbaceous habit; simple to compound leaves; five stamens to four, and then fewer), the interpretation of others (e.g., number of carpels; corolla shape; nectary type, pollen morphology) depends critically on attaining better knowledge of the relationships of Dipsacales within Asteridae.

Key words: character evolution, Dipsacales, supertrees