Aster Family (Asteraceae)

Asteraceae represents the largest

dicot family, with about 25,000
species distributed worldwide. It
includes herbs, shrubs, trees,
epiphytes, vines, and succulents.
Leaves show an extreme range of
diversification, with an alternate,
opposite, or whorled arrangement.
The blades are simple to
compound, lobed, needle-like, or scale-like. If a flower looks like a daisy,
it is probably in the aster family.
The common characteristic in this family is the head of many modified
flowers (a composite of flowers). What appears to be a flower is actually
a multiple false flower. There is an almost complete loss of sepals (calyx).
Another characteristic includes having fused anthers forming a cylinder
around the style (syngenesious condition). As the stigma and style grows
up through the cylinder, it pushes the anthers out so as to facilitate pollen
dispersal. This prevents self-fertilization. The flower’s single pistil has an
inferior ovary composed of 2 carpels fused to form one chamber with one
ovule that matures into an achene fruit without endosperm. Some of the
flower modifications are shown with the two illustrated plants.
Of interest...food: Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon), Carthamnus tinctorius
(safflower), Chichorium endivia (endive), C. intybus (chicory), Cynara
scolymus (artichoke), Guizotia abyssinica (niger seed), Helianthus tuberosus
(Jerusalem artichoke), H. annuus (sunflower seeds, oil), Lactuca sativa
(lettuce); medicinal: Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood, source of
artemisinin, an anti-malaria drug); ornamentals: Ageratum, Aster,
Calendula, Dahlia, Dendranthema (chrysanthemum), Echinops (globe
thistle), Gaillardia, Gazania, Gerbera, Helianthus (sunflower), Helichrysum
(strawflower), Leontopodium (edelweiss), Leucanthemum (daisy), Liatris
(blazing star), Solidago (goldenrod, an attractive fall-flowering addition to
the garden, height varies with the cultivar and flowers attract many
beneficial insects, commonly assumed that this insect-pollinated plant is
the culprit that causes hayfever when the blame goes to wind-pollinated
plants such as Ambrosia, ragweed), Stokesia, Tagetes (marigold), Zinnia;
insecticide: Tanacetum coccineum (pyrethrum, painted daisy); weeds:
Ambrosia (ragweed), Cirsium (thistle), Sonchus (sow-thistle), Taraxacum
(dandelion), Xanthium spinosum (cocklebur), a seedhead with tiny
hooklike spines on the surface clings to animal fur to facilitate seed
dispersal.
Summarized by SUON Sonica