Asteraceae, commonly known as the aster, daisy, composite or sunflower family, is a large family of flowering plants in the order Asterales comprising over 32,000 known species across more than 1,900 genera, with widespread distribution from subpolar to tropical regions across a wide variety of habitats. The family's defining feature is its compound flower heads, or capitula, made up of sometimes hundreds of tiny individual florets enclosed by a whorl of protective involucral bracts; first described in 1740, its species count rivals only Orchidaceae, though which family is larger remains uncertain.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Member Species/Taxa Count Geographic DistributionEvery continent except Antarctica 1 Defining CharacteristicsCompound flower heads (capitula) of sometimes hundreds of tiny florets enclosed by a whorl of protective involucral bracts 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceFlower heads with strap-shaped ray florets around a disc of smaller, radially symmetric disc florets 1 Classification
Living or Extinct Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Anthemis arvensis
Source Wikidata: Arctium lappa
Source Wikidata: Arctium minus
Source Wikidata: Artemisia absinthium
Source Wikidata: Artemisia herba-alba
Source Wikidata: Artemisia maritima
Source Wikidata: Artemisia vulgaris
Source Bidens cernua (Wikidata)
Source Wikidata: Chocolate Cosmos
Source Wikidata: Chondrilla juncea
Source Wikidata: Cirsium vulgare
Source Wikidata: Edelweiss
Source Chrysanthemum × morifolium (Wikipedia)
Source Lettuce (Wikipedia)
Source Matricaria chamomilla (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Glebionis segetum
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Argyroxiphium sandwicense
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Helichrysum arenarium
Source Lettuce (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Oxeye Daisy
Source Wikidata: Oxeye Daisy
Source Wikidata: Silversword
Source Wikidata: Tussilago farfara
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Asteraceae
Lead, first sentence, family clause
is a large family of flowering plants
Lead, second sentence
The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae
Lead, first sentence, species count clause
is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera
Distribution and habitat
they are found on every continent but Antarctica
Lead, sentence on compound flower heads
compound flower heads, technically known as capitula, consisting of sometimes hundreds of tiny individual florets enclosed by a whorl of protective involucral bracts
Floral heads
The "petals" or "sunrays" in an "asteraceous" head are in fact individual strap-shaped flowers called ray flowers or ray florets
In Group: Asterid Families, Lead
Asteraceae ( ) is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales.
View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ25400, descriptionView the Source Wikidata: Asteraceae
Wikidata: Edelweiss
Parent Taxon Of: Edelweiss, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Bidens cernua (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Bidens cernua, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Oxeye Daisy
- Parent Taxon Of: Oxeye Daisy, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
- Parent Taxon Of: Leucanthemum vulgare, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the SourceWikidata: Silversword
Parent Taxon Of: Silversword, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Chocolate Cosmos
Parent Taxon Of: Chocolate Cosmos, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Cirsium vulgare
Parent Taxon Of: Cirsium vulgare, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Artemisia absinthium
Parent Taxon Of: Artemisia absinthium, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Tansy
Wikidata: Tussilago farfara
Parent Taxon Of: Tussilago farfara, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Artemisia vulgaris
Parent Taxon Of: Artemisia vulgaris, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Arctium lappa
Parent Taxon Of: Arctium lappa, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Anthemis arvensis
Parent Taxon Of: Anthemis arvensis, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Arctium minus
Parent Taxon Of: Arctium minus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Artemisia maritima
Parent Taxon Of: Artemisia maritima, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Glebionis segetum
Parent Taxon Of: Glebionis segetum, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Chondrilla juncea
Parent Taxon Of: Chondrilla juncea, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Wikidata: Artemisia herba-alba
Parent Taxon Of: Artemisia herba-alba, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Lettuce (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Garden Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Introduction
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable.
Parent Taxon Of: Lettuce, Introduction
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable.
View the SourceChrysanthemum × morifolium (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: Garden Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium), IntroductionQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Garden Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium), Introduction
Chrysanthemum × morifolium (also known in the US as florist's daisy, fuji mum and hardy garden mum) is a hybrid species of perennial plant in the genus Chrysanthemum of the family Asteraceae.
View the Source Matricaria chamomilla (Wikipedia)
Parent Taxon Of: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), IntroductionQuote, Parent Taxon Of: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Introduction
Matricaria chamomilla (synonym: Matricaria recutita), commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile, blue chamomile, or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae.
View the Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Helichrysum arenarium
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Helichrysum arenarium, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Helichrysum arenarium, Taxon record
"family": "Asteraceae"
View the Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Argyroxiphium sandwicense
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Hawaii Silversword, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Hawaii Silversword, Taxon record
"family": "Asteraceae"
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