diff --git a/src/RootedTrees.jl b/src/RootedTrees.jl
index 2e540412..ade9c7bb 100644
--- a/src/RootedTrees.jl
+++ b/src/RootedTrees.jl
@@ -1350,6 +1350,7 @@ end
 
 include("latexify.jl")
 include("plots.jl")
+include("rooted_tree_vertex_list.jl")
 
 
 end # module
diff --git a/src/rooted_tree_vertex_list.jl b/src/rooted_tree_vertex_list.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e1b70b8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rooted_tree_vertex_list.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+
+struct RootedTreeVertexList
+  children::Vector{RootedTreeVertexList}
+  isempty::Bool
+  iscanonical::Bool
+end
+
+const RootedTreeVL = RootedTreeVertexList
+
+function RootedTreeVL(t::RootedTree)
+  children = Vector{RootedTreeVL}()
+  for subtree in SubtreeIterator(t)
+    push!(children, RootedTreeVL(subtree))
+  end
+  RootedTreeVL(children, isempty(t), iscanonical(t))
+end
+
+function RootedTree(t::RootedTreeVL, root=1)
+  isempty(t) && return RootedTree(Vector{typeof(root)}(), iscanonical(t))
+
+  level_sequence = [root]
+  for subtree in t.children
+    append!(level_sequence, RootedTree(subtree, root + 1).level_sequence)
+  end
+  RootedTree(level_sequence, iscanonical(t))
+end
+
+
+iscanonical(t::RootedTreeVL) = t.iscanonical
+
+Base.copy(t::RootedTreeVL) = RootedTreeVL(copy(t.children), t.isempty, t.iscanonical)
+Base.isempty(t::RootedTreeVL) = t.isempty
+Base.empty(t::RootedTreeVL) = RootedTreeVL(empty(t.children), true, iscanonical(t))
+
+
+function Base.show(io::IO, t::RootedTreeVL)
+  print(io, "RootedTreeVL: ")
+  show(io, RootedTree(t).level_sequence)
+end
+
+
+function Base.cmp(t1::RootedTreeVL, t2::RootedTreeVL)
+  for (subtree1, subtree2) in zip(t1.children, t2.children)
+    result = cmp(subtree1, subtree2)
+    result != 0 && return result
+  end
+  return cmp(length(t1.children), length(t2.children))
+end
+
+Base.isless(t1::RootedTreeVL, t2::RootedTreeVL) = cmp(t1, t2) < 0
+Base.:(==)(t1::RootedTreeVL, t2::RootedTreeVL) = cmp(t1, t2) == 0
+
+# function Base.isless(t1::RootedTreeVL, t2::RootedTreeVL)
+#   if isempty(t1)
+#     if isempty(t2)
+#       # empty trees are equal
+#       return false
+#     else
+#       # the empty tree `isless` than any other tree
+#       return true
+#     end
+#   elseif isempty(t2)
+#     # the empty tree `isless` than any other tree
+#     return false
+#   end
+
+#   for (subtree1, subtree2) in zip(t1.children, t2.children)
+#     subtree1 == subtree2 || return isless(subtree1, subtree2)
+#   end
+#   return isless(order(t1), order(t2))
+# end
+
+# function Base.:(==)(t1::RootedTreeVL, t2::RootedTreeVL)
+#   order(t1) == order(t2) || return false
+
+#   if isempty(t1)
+#     # empty trees are equal
+#     return true
+#   end
+
+#   for (subtree1, subtree2) in zip(t1.children, t2.children)
+#     subtree1 == subtree2 || return false
+#   end
+
+#   return true
+# end
+
+
+# TODO: Base.hash
+
+
+function canonical_representation(t::RootedTreeVL)
+  canonical_representation!(copy(t))
+end
+
+function canonical_representation!(t::RootedTreeVL)
+  for subtree in t.children
+    canonical_representation!(subtree)
+  end
+
+  # simple bubble sort
+  n = length(t.children)
+  swapped = true
+  while swapped
+    swapped = false
+    for i in 2:n
+      subtree1 = t.children[i-1]
+      subtree2 = t.children[i]
+      if subtree1 > subtree2
+        t.children[i-1], t.children[i] = subtree2, subtree1
+        swapped = true
+      end
+    end
+    n = n - 1
+  end
+
+  RootedTreeVL(t.children, isempty(t), true)
+end
+
+
+# functions on trees
+
+function order(t::RootedTreeVL)
+  result = isempty(t) ? 0 : 1
+  for subtree in t.children
+    result += order(subtree)
+  end
+  result
+end
+
+
+
+function partition_skeleton(t::RootedTreeVL, edge_set)
+  partition_skeleton!(copy(t), copy(edge_set))
+end
+
+function partition_skeleton!(t::RootedTreeVL, edge_set)
+
+end