Home›Species›Taxonomy›AsteraceaeTaxaAsteraceaePlant FamiliesReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedAsteraceae, 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.FactsAsteraceaeConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsTaxonomic RankWell-attestedFamily 1Scientific NameWell-attestedAsteraceae 1Member Species/Taxa CountWell-attested32,000 1Geographic DistributionWell-attestedEvery continent except Antarctica 1Defining CharacteristicsWell-attestedCompound flower heads (capitula) of sometimes hundreds of tiny florets enclosed by a whorl of protective involucral bracts 1IdentificationDistinguishing AppearanceWell-attestedFlower heads with strap-shaped ray florets around a disc of smaller, radially symmetric disc florets 1ClassificationLiving or ExtinctWell-attestedYes 2AsteraceaeFilter Results24 entriesCommon GroupAllAsters And Composites (Asterales) (24)HabitatAllAlpine (2)Chaparral (2)Grassland (4)Montane Grasslands and Shrublands (1)Salt Marsh (1)Steppe (2)Temperate Forest (1)Conservation StatusAllEndangered (1)Least Concern (2)Not Evaluated (17)EcosystemAllHeath (1)Mediterranean Basin (1)Everyday GroupAllAsters And Composites (Asterales) (24)DietAllParasitic (1)Photosynthetic Autotroph (23)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (1)Marine (2)Terrestrial (21)Relationship to PeopleAllDomesticated (1)Farmed or Commercially Raised (2)Invasive or Introduced Species (7)Used in Traditional Medicine (11)Living or ExtinctAllYes (7)Where It LivesAllAfghanistan (7)Albania (13)Algeria (9)Andorra (2)Angola (1)Armenia (1)Australia (8)Austria (16)Azerbaijan (1)Bangladesh (1)Belarus (14)Belgium (15)Belize (1)Bolivia (6)Brazil (1)Bulgaria (15)Cambodia (3)Cameroon (3)Chad (1)Colombia (8)Costa Rica (4)Croatia (2)Cuba (5)Cyprus (6)Denmark (14)Dominican Republic (4)East Africa (1)Eastern Europe (1)Ecuador (4)Egypt (5)El Salvador (5)Eritrea (4)Estonia (3)Ethiopia (5)Europe (2)Fiji (2)Finland (14)France (18)Georgia (9)Germany (17)Greece (13)Guatemala (4)Haiti (5)Honduras (5)Hungary (16)Iceland (9)India (6)Iran (12)Iraq (9)Ireland (14)Italy (15)Jamaica (1)Japan (6)Jordan (1)Kazakhstan (12)Laos (2)Latvia (2)Lesotho (1)Libya (6)Liechtenstein (2)Lithuania (1)Luxembourg (2)Maldives (1)Manchuria (4)Mauritania (1)Mauritius (5)Mexico (1)Moldova (2)Monaco (4)Mongolia (3)Montenegro (1)Morocco (7)Myanmar (3)Nepal (7)Netherlands (15)Nicaragua (1)North America (14)Norway (13)Oman (1)Pakistan (7)Palestine (5)Paraguay (1)Poland (10)Portugal (8)Romania (7)San Marino (1)Saudi Arabia (3)Serbia (2)Siberia (2)Slovenia (2)Spain (9)Sri Lanka (1)Sweden (7)Switzerland (6)Thailand (1)The Mediterranean (1)Tunisia (4)Turkey (2)Turkmenistan (1)Ukraine (4)Uzbekistan (2)Vatican City (1)Vietnam (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 24Anthemis arvensisAsteraceaeArctium lappaAsteraceaeArctium minusAsteraceaeArtemisia absinthiumAsteraceaeArtemisia herba-albaAsteraceaeArtemisia maritimaAsteraceaeArtemisia vulgarisAsteraceaeBidens cernuaAsteraceaeChocolate CosmosAsteraceaeChondrilla junceaAsteraceaeCirsium vulgareAsteraceaeEdelweissAsteraceaeGarden Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)AsteraceaeGarden Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)AsteraceaeGerman Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)AsteraceaeGlebionis segetumAsteraceaeHawaii SilverswordAsteraceaeHelichrysum arenariumAsteraceaeLettuceAsteraceaeLeucanthemum vulgareAsteraceaeOxeye DaisyAsteraceaeSilverswordAsteraceaeTansyAsteraceaeTussilago farfaraAsteraceaeConnectionsParent Taxon OfAnthemis arvensis, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Anthemis arvensisArctium lappa, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Arctium lappaArctium minus, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Arctium minusArtemisia absinthium, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Artemisia absinthiumArtemisia herba-alba, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Artemisia herba-albaArtemisia maritima, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Artemisia maritimaArtemisia vulgaris, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Artemisia vulgarisBidens cernua, Species Well-attested Source Bidens cernua (Wikidata)tier 2Chocolate Cosmos, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Chocolate CosmosChondrilla juncea, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Chondrilla junceaCirsium vulgare, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Cirsium vulgareEdelweiss, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: EdelweissGarden Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium), Species Well-attested Source Chrysanthemum × morifolium (Wikipedia)Garden Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Species Well-attested Source Lettuce (Wikipedia)German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Species Well-attested Source Matricaria chamomilla (Wikipedia)Glebionis segetum, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Glebionis segetumHawaii Silversword, Species Well-attested Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Argyroxiphium sandwicenseHelichrysum arenarium, Species Well-attested Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Helichrysum arenariumLettuce, Species Well-attested Source Lettuce (Wikipedia)Leucanthemum vulgare, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Oxeye DaisyOxeye Daisy, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Oxeye DaisySilversword, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: SilverswordTansy, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: TansyTussilago farfara, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Tussilago farfaraIn the Other AtlasesFound InAntarcticaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Wikipedia: AsteraceaeLead, first sentence, family clauseis a large family of flowering plantsLead, second sentenceThe number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the OrchidaceaeLead, first sentence, species count clauseis a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 generaDistribution and habitatthey are found on every continent but AntarcticaLead, sentence on compound flower headscompound flower heads, technically known as capitula, consisting of sometimes hundreds of tiny individual florets enclosed by a whorl of protective involucral bractsFloral headsThe "petals" or "sunrays" in an "asteraceous" head are in fact individual strap-shaped flowers called ray flowers or ray floretsIn Group: Asterid Families, LeadAsteraceae ( ) 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)tier 2Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ25400, descriptionView the SourceWikidata: AsteraceaeWikidata Q25400, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceWikidata: EdelweissParent Taxon Of: Edelweiss, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceBidens cernua (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Bidens cernua, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Oxeye DaisyParent Taxon Of: Oxeye Daisy, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainParent Taxon Of: Leucanthemum vulgare, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: SilverswordParent Taxon Of: Silversword, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Chocolate CosmosParent Taxon Of: Chocolate Cosmos, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Cirsium vulgareParent Taxon Of: Cirsium vulgare, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Artemisia absinthiumParent Taxon Of: Artemisia absinthium, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: TansyParent Taxon Of: Tansy, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Tussilago farfaraParent Taxon Of: Tussilago farfara, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Artemisia vulgarisParent Taxon Of: Artemisia vulgaris, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Arctium lappaParent Taxon Of: Arctium lappa, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Anthemis arvensisParent Taxon Of: Anthemis arvensis, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Arctium minusParent Taxon Of: Arctium minus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Artemisia maritimaParent Taxon Of: Artemisia maritima, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Glebionis segetumParent Taxon Of: Glebionis segetum, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Chondrilla junceaParent Taxon Of: Chondrilla juncea, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Artemisia herba-albaParent Taxon Of: Artemisia herba-alba, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceLettuce (Wikipedia)Parent Taxon Of: Garden Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), IntroductionLettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable.Parent Taxon Of: Lettuce, IntroductionLettuce (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), IntroductionChrysanthemum × 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 SourceMatricaria chamomilla (Wikipedia)Parent Taxon Of: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), IntroductionQuote, Parent Taxon Of: German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), IntroductionMatricaria 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 SourceGBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Helichrysum arenariumGBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Helichrysum arenarium, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Helichrysum arenarium, Taxon record"family": "Asteraceae"View the SourceGBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Argyroxiphium sandwicenseGBIF Backbone TaxonomyParent Taxon Of: Hawaii Silversword, Taxon recordQuote, Parent Taxon Of: Hawaii Silversword, Taxon record"family": "Asteraceae"View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.