The order includes 85-90 genera from seven families of trees and shrubs. Most of the species are tropical and subtropical, though a few genera reach the temperate zone. The best known species in this order are those of the Lauraceae (for example bay laurel or "Laurus", cinnamon or "Cinnamomum", avocado or "Persea", and "Sassafras"), and the spice bush or "Calycanthus" of the Calycanthaceae.