Here we ask: what factors have driven species evolution and trait adaptability within Gentianales? This order encompasses families that are rich in flowering plant species, such as Rubiaceae (13,775 species.) and Apocynaceae (5,350 species.), as well as families with lower species richness, like Gentianaceae (1,650 species) and Loganiaceae (400 species), and the family Gelseminaceae (13 species), which exhibits low species diversity and it is considered as a species-poor lineage. Beyond thriving in environments ranging from tropical rainforests to rocky outcrops, these plants developed a suite of traits that enabled their evolution across and between these ecosystems (e.g., floral synorganization, phytochemical diversity, pollination mechanisms, genome size, underground storage organs, and life forms, among others). Using robust, up-to-date phylogenetic trees and compiled data on biological traits, we investigate the patterns and processes underlying the evolution of Gentianales lineages in the tropics and temperate regions on earth.