Asteraceae _ Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family _ Britannica

1/4/24, 15:16 Asteraceae | Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family | Britannica
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Asteraceae
plant family
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Also known as: Compositae, aster family, composite family,

daisy family
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chrysanthemums
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Category: Animals & Nature
Also called: Compositae
Related Topics: daisy • sunflower •

dahlia • Mutisieae • Lactuceae
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https://www.britannica.com/plant/Asteraceae 1/21
Asteraceae, the aster, daisy, or

composite family of the flowering-plant
order Asterales. With more than 1,620
genera and 23,600 species of herbs,
shrubs, and trees distributed throughout
the world, Asteraceae is one of the largest
plant families.
zoom_in
keyboard_arrow_right
endive
Endive (Cichorium endivia).
Asteraceae is important primarily for its

many garden ornamentals, such as
ageratums, asters, chrysanthemums,
cosmos, dahlias, marigolds (Tagetes),
and zinnias. Other well-known garden
plants and wildflowers include Boltonia,
Brachycome, burdock (Arctium),
butterbur (Petasites), Calendula, cat’s
ear (Hypochoeris), cudweed (Filago and
Gnaphalium), Gerbera, hawksbeard
(Crepis), Inula, Matricaria, and
Piqueria. Some genera include noxious
weeds, such as dandelion (Taraxacum),
ragweed (Ambrosia), and thistle
(Carduus, Cirsium, and others). Several
other members of Asteraceae have
economic importance as food crops.

Artichokes (Cynara), lettuce (Lactuca),
endive (Cichorium), and salsify
(Tragopogon) are commonly eaten as
vegetables, and the edible seeds of
safflower (Carthamus), and sunflower
(Helianthus) are used in the production
of cooking oils. Wormwood (Artemisia)
is the source of the poisonous oil used to
give the liqueur absinthe its distinctive
character.
Members of the family have flower heads

composed of many small flowers, called
florets, that are surrounded by bracts
(leaflike structures). Bell-shaped disk
florets form the centre of each head.
Strap-shaped ray florets extend out like
petals from the centre and are sometimes
reflexed (bent back). Some species have
flowers with only disk or only ray florets.
The sepals have been reduced to a ring of
hairs, scales, or bristles that is called the
pappus on the mature fruit. The one-
seeded fruit (an achene) has a hard outer
covering.
The leaves of Asteraceae are simple or

occasionally compound, and their
arrangement along the stem may be
opposite, alternate, or, less commonly,
whorled; not infrequently they are
opposite toward the base of the stem and
alternate above.
Britannica Quiz
Plants: From Cute to

Carnivorous
Paleobotanists suggest that the first

members of this family may have evolved
in Argentina some 50 million years ago,
based on the discovery of well-preserved
fossils that date to the Eocene Epoch (56
million to 33.9 million years ago).
Flowers
zoom_in
sunflower
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
The most obvious and outstanding

general feature of Asteraceae is that the
flowers are grouped characteristically
into compact inflorescences (heads) that
superficially resemble individual flowers.
Each such head is ordinarily subtended
by an involucre of small modified leaves
(bracts). Furthermore, in more than half
the members of the family, the flowers in
the outermost row or rows of the head
have a modified, mainly flat and elongate
corolla that resembles an individual petal
of most other flowers. Thus, the “petals”
of a daisy or sunflower are actually the
outermost flowers of the head. An
inflorescence of this family can have
more than 1,000 individual flowers
(florets), and the heads can be grouped
into more complex, secondary
arrangements called capitulescences.
When present, the flower petals of

Asteraceae are joined together by their
margins, forming a tubular or strap-
shaped corolla (a sympetalous corolla)
that often has apical teeth representing
the petal tips. The other floral parts are
attached to the top of the ovary rather
than beneath it. The calyx (sepals) of
Asteraceae is so highly modified, in
contrast to that of other families, that it is
given a different name, the pappus. The
pappus consists of one to many dry
scales, awns (small pointed processes), or
capillary (hairlike) bristles; in some the
scales may be joined by their margins to
form a crownlike ring at the summit of
the ovary. In a few genera (e.g.,
Marshallia) the calyx consists of five
regularly placed scales that are obviously
homologous with sepals.
The pistil (female structure) is composed

of two carpels, which are united to form a
compound ovary with a terminal style.
There is usually a nectar-producing

region (nectary) in the form of a minute
ring surrounding the style atop the ovary.
The ovary has only one locule (seed
cavity), with a single ovule arising from
the base. The fact that the ovule is basal
is the best single feature distinguishing
Asteraceae from the related Calyceraceae,
which also has involucrate heads with a
similar pollen-presentation mechanism
but has the ovule pendulous from the top
of the ovary.
The sequence of flowering within

individual heads is always centripetal,
characteristic of a racemose
(indeterminate) inflorescence. This
means that the outer flowers bloom first,
with a progressive spiral of flowering
toward the centre of the head. The
secondary arrangement of heads
(capitulescences) of Asteraceae is
typically cymose (determinate). The
terminal head on the main axis blooms
first, followed by the terminal heads of
the main branches. After that the
sequence is mixed, with both cymose and
racemose components. Only rarely, and
then clearly as a derived condition, is the
secondary inflorescence racemose
throughout, with the lowest heads
blooming first and the terminal ones last.
zoom_in
The discoid head of the globe thistle

(Echinops), which is composed of only
disk flowers.
Individual heads of most members of

Asteraceae are said to be discoid, radiate,
disciform, or ligulate, according to the
kinds of flowers they contain. The
simplest type is the discoid head, in
which the flowers have a regular, tubular

corolla, with generally four or five apical
teeth representing the tips of the petals.
This kind of flower is called a disk flower.
Ordinarily, the flowers in a discoid head
are all perfect (bisexual) and fertile.
Thistles and ageratums are examples of
Asteraceae species with discoid heads.
zoom_in
treasure flower
The radiate head of the treasure flower
(Gazania rigens), a daisylike inflorescence…
...(more)
The radiate head has disk flowers in the

centre surrounded by one or more
marginal rows of ray flowers, which have
an irregular corolla. The corollas are
tubular at the base but prolonged on the
outer side into a generally flat projection,
the ray, or ligule. These rays are the
petal-like parts, in a comparison of the
flower head to an ordinary flower. The
ray flowers in radiate heads are either
pistillate (female) or neutral (with a
vestigial, nonfunctional ovary and no
style). The disk flowers in a radiate head
usually have both sexes, but sometimes

they are functionally staminate, with a
normal pollen-presentation mechanism
but without a functional ovary.
zoom_in
zinnia
Double-flowered zinnia (Zinnia
elegans).
Occasionally, species with radiate heads

mutate in such a way that most or all of
the disk flowers are transformed into ray
flowers, with only a few (or no) normal
disk flowers in the centre. These “double-
flowered” forms do not survive
competition in nature, but they are
valued and perpetuated horticulturally
because of their showier flower heads.
The “daisy-flowered” chrysanthemums,

with only a single marginal row of ray
flowers, have the normal type of radiate
head, but the more commonly cultivated
kinds of chrysanthemums are double-
flowered. The garden dahlia is another
member of Asteraceae that is cultivated
in both normal and double-flowered
types, the double-flowered being more
frequent. China asters, marigolds, and
zinnias are also commonly cultivated in
double-flowered forms.
zoom_in
Fleabane (Erigeron uniflorus)
The disciform head, a special derivative

of the radiate type, resembles the discoid
head in lacking the marginal rays, but the
outer flowers are pistillate, with a

tubular, rayless corolla. Plants of the
genus Gnaphalium (cudweed) have
disciform heads. Some varieties of a
species, such as Erigeron compositus
(cutleaf fleabane), show a complete series
of transitions from the radiate to the
disciform type of head, with varying
degrees of suppression of the ligule on
the pistillate flowers.
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zoom_in
The ligulate head of the dandelion

(Taraxacum officinale), which is
composed of only ligulate flowers.
While infloresences of radiate, discoid,

and disciform heads occur in various
tribes of Asteraceae, the ligulate head is
almost entirely restricted to one tribe,
Lactuceae (Cichorieae), and is found in
all members of that tribe. Ligulate heads
consist entirely of one kind of flower, the
ligulate flower. Ligulate flowers
superficially resemble the ray flowers of
radiate heads in having a corolla that is
tubular at the base and prolonged on the
outer side into a flat, strap-shaped ligule.
They differ from ray flowers in that they
are perfect (bisexual) and the ligule
consists of all five lobes of the corolla and
generally shows five terminal teeth. The
dandelion is a familiar plant with ligulate
heads.
Still another kind of flower is found

nearly throughout the tribe Mutisieae.
This tribe is largely tropical, and only one
of its genera, Gerbera, is familiar in
cultivation in temperate regions. Most
members of Mutisieae have some or all of
the corollas bilabiate (two-lipped), with a
large, three-lobed (sometimes four-
lobed) outer lip and a smaller, two-lobed
(or one-lobed) inner lip. These bilabiate
flowers may be either pistillate or perfect.
When pistillate, they are always external

to any perfect flowers that may be
present in the head. Often they are much
like ordinary ray flowers, except that
there are two small teeth at the top of the
corolla tube, opposite the ligule. The
Mutisieae tribe shows every degree of
transition from the typical disk flower to
the typical ray flower to the typical
ligulate flower.
Pollination
zoom_in
how flowering plants reproduce

Reproduction in flowering plants begins with
pollination, the transfer of pollen from anthe…
...(more)
The members of Asteraceae, together

with the other families in the order
Asterales, employ a system of pollination
known as plunger, or secondary,
pollination. In this system the flowers are
such that the stamens form a tube
around the immature style, with their
pollen surfaces facing inward. As the
style elongates within the tube of anthers,
it pushes the pollen out on specialized

hairs located beneath the closed stigma.
These hairs present the pollen to
pollinators while the stigma is still
unreceptive, thus facilitating outcrossing
(the movement of pollen between
individuals). When the stigma becomes
receptive, it waits for outcross pollen
until near the end of its receptive period,
at which point it curls down to self-
pollinate with the pollen-covered hairs,
thereby ensuring seed production.
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Pollination is effected by diverse agents,

most commonly various sorts of insects.
The individual flowers of most
Asteraceae species are relatively small,
and the nectar within the corolla tube is
thus readily available to most insect
visitors; no long tongue is needed to
reach it. The pollen itself is freely
exposed on the surface of the head, and a

single head is likely to be visited by
several kinds of insects. A minority of the
members of the family are wind-
pollinated; these generally have small
and inconspicuous flower heads. Some
species are pollinated by both wind and
insects. Solidago speciosa, one of the
common goldenrods of the eastern
United States, for example, produces a
considerable amount of airborne pollen
in addition to attracting insect visitors.
The goldenrods, like the ragweeds,
generally flower in late summer and fall.
Because goldenrods are common and
conspicuous when ragweeds release
pollen into the wind, they often have
been blamed for allergies that are
actually caused primarily by ragweeds.
Relatively few species of Asteraceae are
regularly self-pollinated; the genus
Psilocarphus is an example. Bird
pollination is also uncommon, the
tropical American genus Mutisia being a
notable exception.
Fruit and seeds

Various genera and individual species are
known to reproduce by apomixis (the
setting of seed without fertilization),
either completely or in addition to
normal sexual means. The genus
Antennaria (pussytoes), well known in
the Northern Hemisphere, is dioecious,

and some of the species are represented
in large parts of their range only by
pistillate plants. In this genus normal
sexual reproduction yields equal
numbers of staminate and pistillate
plants, but apomictic reproduction yields
only pistillate plants. Apomixis is often
associated with polyploidy (the presence
of three or more complete sets of
chromosomes in every cell) in
Asteraceae, as well as with a past history
of hybridization.
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The members of Asteraceae produce a

type of fruit called an achene, which is
dry and single-seeded and does not open
at maturity. The apparent seeds of the
sunflower, for example, are actually
achenes. The hull is the achenial wall,
and the actual seed coat surrounding the
embryo is a thin, papery layer. The seed

has virtually no endosperm; its reserve
food is stored largely in the two
cotyledons (seed leaves) of the embryo.
In Asteraceae seed dispersal it is really
the achenes (each containing a seed) that
are dispersed.
zoom_in
Cocklebur (Xanthium).
The seeds of many Asteraceae species are

distributed in a variety of ways, often
aided by modifications of the floral
pappus. When the pappus consists of
numerous capillary bristles, as in
Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), it
facilitates distribution of the achenes by

the wind by providing buoyancy. In some
other genera, such as Bidens (beggar-
tick), the pappus awns are barbed, which
permits them to stick in fur or clothing,
and some achenes are thus transported
by animals. Similarly, some species have
barbed structures or are provided with
hooks or spines, as in Xanthium
strumarium (cocklebur) or Arctium
(burdock), engaging humans or animals
as means of transport. In cocklebur and
burdock, the protective bracts
surrounding the developing head
(involucre) are provided with hooks, and
the whole head is distributed intact. The
hooked heads of burdock are said to have
inspired the invention of Velcro, a
modern fabric fastener utilizing many
tiny hooks that attach to a base
containing numerous small loops. In
Coreopsis (tickseed) the achene is thin
and flat, and the surface area is increased
by the presence of an even thinner
expanded margin (wing).
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Other means of seed dispersal are less

common. The achenes of species that
grow in wet places may be carried in mud
on the feet of migrating waterfowl. Those
of some streamside species are buoyant,
achieving dispersal by floating until they
become waterlogged. In Centaurea and
some related genera, the achenes are
attractive to ants, which carry them about
and feed on special parts of the wall. The
achenes of some field weeds have been
widely distributed by becoming mixed
with the seeds of cultivated crops. Many
other members of the order have no
obvious means of seed dispersal.
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Asterales: Asteraceae
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1/4/24, 15:16 Asteraceae | Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family | Britannica

Home keyboard_arrow_right Science keyboard_arrow_right Plants keyboard_arrow_right Flowering Plants

Animals & Nature

print Print verified Cite share Share message Feedback

Also known as: Compositae, aster family, composite family,

toc Table of Contents

See all media

Category: Animals & Nature

Also called: Compositae

Related Topics: daisy • sunflower •

See all related content →

Asteraceae, the aster, daisy, or

Asteraceae is important primarily for its

economic importance as food crops.

Members of the family have flower heads

The leaves of Asteraceae are simple or

Plants: From Cute to

Paleobotanists suggest that the first

The most obvious and outstanding

When present, the flower petals of

The pistil (female structure) is composed

There is usually a nectar-producing

The sequence of flowering within

The discoid head of the globe thistle

Individual heads of most members of

which the flowers have a regular, tubular

The radiate head has disk flowers in the

usually have both sexes, but sometimes

Occasionally, species with radiate heads

The “daisy-flowered” chrysanthemums,

Fleabane (Erigeron uniflorus)

The disciform head, a special derivative

outer flowers are pistillate, with a

$1,990 $1,000 $29,990

The ligulate head of the dandelion

While infloresences of radiate, discoid,

Still another kind of flower is found

When pistillate, they are always external

how flowering plants reproduce

The members of Asteraceae, together

it pushes the pollen out on specialized

Alfombra Bolsa de Basura

$1,790 $10,990 $590

Lechuga Hoja De Smoothie

Pollination is effected by diverse agents,

exposed on the surface of the head, and a

Fruit and seeds

the Northern Hemisphere, is dioecious,

Lechuga Hoja De Roble Verde Hidroponica

Tomate Larga Vida Malla

The members of Asteraceae produce a

embryo is a thin, papery layer. The seed

The seeds of many Asteraceae species are

facilitates distribution of the achenes by

Lechuga Lechuga Tabla De Quesos

Smoothie Shampoo Equilibrante

Other means of seed dispersal are less

More From Britannica

This article was most recently revised and updated

Asteraceae _ Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family _ Britannica

Asteraceae _ Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family _ Britannica

Asteraceae _ Sunflower, Daisy & Marigold Family _ Britannica