The rust fungi ( Pucciniales ) with 7000+ species comprise one of the largest orders of Fungi , and one for which taxonomy at all ranks remains problematic. Here we provide a taxonomic framework, based on 16 years of sampling that includes ca . 80 % of accepted genera including type species wherever possible, and three DNA loci used to resolve the deeper nodes of the rust fungus tree of life. Pucciniales are comprised of seven suborders – Araucariomycetineae subord. nov. , Melampsorineae , Mikronegeriineae , Raveneliineae subord. nov. , Rogerpetersoniineae subord. nov. , Skierkineae subord. nov. , and Uredinineae – and 18 families – Araucariomycetaceae fam. nov. , Coleosporiaceae , Crossopsoraceae fam. nov. , Gymnosporangiaceae , Melampsoraceae , Milesinaceae fam. nov. , Ochropsoraceae fam. & stat. nov. , Phakopsoraceae , Phragmidiaceae , Pileolariaceae , Pucciniaceae , Pucciniastraceae , Raveneliaceae , Rogerpetersoniaceae fam. nov. , Skierkaceae fam. & stat. nov. , Sphaerophragmiaceae , Tranzscheliaceae fam. & stat. nov. , and Zaghouaniaceae . The new genera Araucariomyces (for Aecidium fragiforme and Ae. balansae ), Neoolivea (for Olivea tectonae ), Rogerpetersonia (for Caeoma torreyae ), and Rossmanomyces (for Chrysomyxa monesis , Ch. pryrolae , and Ch. ramischiae ) are proposed. Twenty-one new combinations and one new name are introduced for: Angiopsora apoda , Angiopsora chusqueae , Angiopsora paspalicola , Araucariomyces balansae , Araucariomyces fragiformis , Cephalotelium evansii , Cephalotelium neocaledoniense , Cephalotelium xanthophloeae , Ceropsora weirii , Gymnotelium speciosum , Lipocystis acaciae-pennatulae , Neoolivea tectonae , Neophysopella kraunhiae , Phakopsora pipturi , Rogerpetersonia torreyae , Rossmanomyces monesis , Rossmanomyces pryrolae , Rossmanomyces ramischiae , Thekopsora americana , Thekopsora potentillae , Thekopsora pseudoagrimoniae , and Zaghouania notelaeae . Higher ranks are newly defined with consideration of morphology, host range and life cycle. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary and diversification trends within Pucciniales .