Asteraceae

Sunflowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae
Genera
Acamptopappus goldenhead   Acanthospermum starburr   Achillea yarrow   Achyrachaena blow wives   Acmella spotflower   Acourtia desert peony   Acroptilon hardheads       Russian knapweed   Actinospermum   Adenocaulon trailplant   Adenophyllum dogweed   Adenostemma medicineplant   Ageratina snakeroot   Ageratum whiteweed   Agoseris mountain dandelion   Almutaster alkalai marsh aster   Amberboa   Amblyolepis   Amblyopappus   Ambrosia bursage, ragweed   Ampelaster climbing aster   Amphiachyris broomweed   Amphipappus chaffbush   Anacylus   Anaphalis pearly everlasting   Ancistrocarphus neststraw,       woolly fishhooks   Anisocoma   Antennaria pussytoes   Anthemis Roman chamomile   Antheropeas Easter bonnets   Aphanostephus doze daisy   Arctium burdock   Arctotheca capeweed   Arctotis   Argyranthemum dill daisy   Argyroxiphium silversword   Arnica arnica   Arnoglossum Indian plaintain   Arnoseris   Artemisia tarragon, sagebrush,       sagewort, wormwood, mugwort   Asanthus brickellbush   Aster L.   Astranthium western daisy   Atrichoseris   Ayapana   Baccharis   Bahia   Baileya desert marigold   Balduina honeycombhead   Balsamita   Balsamorhiza balsamroot   Baltimora   Barkleyanthus willow ragwort   Bartlettia   Bebbia sweetbush   Bellis daisy   Benitoa   Berkheya   Berlandiera greeneyes   Bidens beggartick       devil's sticktight, Spanish needles   Bigelowia rayless goldenrod   Blennosperma stickyseed   Blepharipappus   Blepharizonia   Blumea false oxtongue   Boltonia doll's daisy   Borrichia seaside tansy   Brachyactis rayless aster   Bradburia   Brickellia brickelbush   Brickelliastrum brickellbush   Brintonia mock goldenrod   Cacalia   Cacaliopsis   Calendula marigold   Callistephus   Calotis   Calycadenia western rosinweed   Calycoseris tackstem   Calyptocarpus   Canadanthus mountain aster   Carduus plumeless thistle   Carlina carline thistle   Carminatia   Carphephorus chaffhead   Carphochaete bristlehead   Carthamus distaff thistle   Castalis   Centaurea knapweed, star thistle   Centipeda   Centratherum   Chaenactis pincushion   Chaetadelpha skeletonweed   Chaetopappa least daisy   Chamaechaenactis   Chamaemelum dogfennel   Chamomilla chamomilla       pineapple weed   Chaptalia sunbonnetts   Chloracantha Nesom   Chondrilla   Chromolaena thoroughwort   Chrysactinia   Chrysanthellum   Chrysanthemum   Chrysogonum   Chrysoma   Chrysopsis goldenaster   Chrysothamnus rabbitbrush   Cichorium chicory   Cirsium thistle   Clappia clapdaisy   Clibadium   Cnicus blessed thistle   Columbiadoria   Complaya   Condylidium villalba   Conoclinium thoroughwort        mistflower   Conyza horseweed   Coreocarpus   Coreopsis tickseed   Corethrogyne sandaster   Cosmos   Cotula L. waterbuttons   Crassocephalum ragleaf   Crepis hawksbeard   Critonia thoroughwort   Crocidium spring-gold   Croptilon scratchdaisy   Crupina   Cyanopsis knapweed   Cyanthillium ironweed   Cymophora   Cynara artichoke   Dahlia   Delairea capeivy   Dendranthema arctic daisy   Dichaetophora   Dicoria twinbugs   Dicranocarpus   Dimeresia   Dimorphotheca cape marigold   Dittrichia   Doellingeria whitetop   Doronicum false leopardbane   Dracopis coneflower   Dubautia   Dugaldia   Dysodiopsis dogfennel   Dyssodia dogweed   Eastwoodia   Eatonella   Echinacea coneflower   Echinops globethistle   Eclipta   Egletes tropic daisy   Elephantopus elephantsfoot   Eleutheranthera   Emilia tasselflower   Encelia brittlebush   Enceliopsis sunray   Engelmannia Engelmann's daisy   Enydra swampwort   Erechtites burnweed   Ericameria goldenbush       heath goldenrod   Erigeron daisy, fleabane   Eriophyllum woolly sunflower   Eucephalus aster, eucephalus   Euchiton   Eupatorium Joe-Pye weed       thoroughwort, snakeweed   Euphrosyne   Eurybia aster   Euryops   Euthamia goldentop   Evax pygmy cudweed   Facelis trampweed   Filago cottonrose   Fitchia   Flaveria yellowtops   Fleischmannia thoroughwort   Florestina   lourensia tarwort   Flyriella brickellbush   Gaillardia blanketflower   Galinsoga gallant-soldier   Gamochaeta everlasting   Garberia   Gazania   Geraea desert sunflower   Gerbera Transvaal daisy   Glyptopleura   Gnaphalium cudweed   Gochnatia   Grindelia gumweed   Guardiola   Guizotia   Gundelia   Gundlachia   Gutierrezia snakeweed   Gymnosperma Less.   Gymnostyles burrweed   Gynura Cass.   Haplocarpha onefruit   Haploesthes false broomweed   Hartwrightia   Hasteola false Indian plantain   Hazardia bristleweed   Hebeclinium thoroughwort   Hecastocleis   Hedypnois   Helenium sneezeweed   Helianthella   Helianthus sunflowers   Helichrysum strawflower   Heliomeris false goldeneye   Heliopsis   Hemizonia tarweed   Herrickia   Hesperevax dwarf-cudweed   Hesperodoria glowweed   Hesperomannia island-aster   Heteranthemis oxeye   Heterosperma   Heterotheca false goldenaster    telegraph plant   Hieracium hawkweed   Hofmeisteria   Holocarpha tarweed   Holozonia   Hulsea alpinegold   Hymenoclea burrobrush, burrobush   Hymenopappus   Hymenothrix thimblehead   Hymenoxys rubberweed   Hypochaeris catsear   Ichthyothere   Inula yellowhead   Ionactis aster   Isocarpha pearlhead   Isocoma goldenbush, jimmyweed   Iva marshelder, sumpweed   Ixeris   Jamesianthus   Jaumea   Jefea   Kalimeris aster   Keysseria   Koanophyllon thoroughwort   Koyamacalia   Krigia dwarfdandelion   Lactuca lettuce   Laennecia laennecia, laennicia   Lagascea   Lagenifera island-daisy   Lagophylla hareleaf   Lapsana nipplewort   Lapsanastrum nipplewort   Lasianthaea   Lasiospermum cocoonhead   Lasthenia goldfields   Launaea   Layia tidytips   Leibnitzia sunbonnets   Lembertia   Leontodon hawkbit   Lepidospartum broomsage   Lessingia vinegarweed   Leucanthemella   Leucanthemopsis   Leucanthemum daisy, oxeye daisy   Liatris blazing star, gay feather   Lindheimera   Lipochaeta nehe   Litrisa   Logfia cottonrose   Luina silverback   Lygodesmia skeleton weed   Machaeranthera goldenweed       tansyaster   Madia tarweed   Malacothrix desert dandelion   Malperia   Mantisalca   Marshallia Barbara's buttons   Matricaria mayweed   Megalodonta watermarigold   Melampodium blackfoot   Melanthera squarestem   Micropus cottonseed   Microseris silverpuffs   Mikania hempvine   Monolopia   Monoptilon desertstar   Montanoa   Mycelis   Neurolaena   Nicolletia hole-in-the-sand   Nothocalais prairie-dandelion   Oclemena aster   Olearia   Oligoneuron goldenrod   Omalotheca arctic cudweed   Oncosiphon   Onopordum cotton thistle   Oonopsis false goldenweed   Oreochrysum goldenrod   Oreostemma aster   Orochaenactis   Osmadenia Nutt.   Osteospermum daisybush   Packeraragwort   Palafoxia palafox   Parasenecio Indian plantain   Parthenice   Parthenium feverfew   Pascalia   Pectis cinchweed, fetid marigold   Pentachaeta pygmy daisy   Pentzia   Perezia   Pericallis ragwort   Pericome   Perityle rock daisy   Petasites butterbur   Petradoria rock goldenrod   Peucephyllum pygmy cedar   Phalacroseris mock dandelion   Phoebanthus false sunflower   Picradeniopsis bahia   Picris oxtongue   Picrothamnus bud sagebrush   Pinaropappus rock lettuce   Piptocarpha ash daisy   Piptocoma velvetshrub   Pityopsis silkgrass   Platyschkuhria basindaisy   Pleurocoronis   Pluchea camphorweed, fleabane   Plummera   Podocoma   Polymnia   Porophyllum poreleaf   Prenanthella   Prenanthes rattlesnakeroot   Prionopsis   Proustia   Psacalium Indianbush   Psathyrotes turtleback   Pseudelephantopus dog's-tongue   Pseudobahia sunburst   Pseudoclappia false clapdaisy   Pseudognaphalium false cudweed       cudweed   Pseudogynoxys   Psilactis tansyaster   Psilocarphus woollyheads   Psilostrophe paperflower   Pterocaulon blackroot   Pulicaria false fleabane   Pyrrhopappus desert chicory   Pyrrocoma goldenweed   Rafinesquia California chicory   Raillardella silvermat   Raillardiopsis   Rainiera   Ratibida prairie coneflower   Rayjacksonia tansyaster   Reichardia brighteyes   Remya   Rhagadiolus   Rigiopappus   Rolandra yerba de plata   Roldana groundsel   Rudbeckia coneflower   Rugelia Rugel's Indian plantain   Sachsia   Salmea bejuco de miel   Santolina lavender cotton   Sanvitalia creeping zinnia   Sartwellia glowwort   Saussurea saw-wort   Schkuhria false threadleaf   Sclerocarpus bonebract   Sclerolepis bogbutton   Scolymus goldenthistle   Scorzonera   Senecio groundsel, ragwort   Sericocarpus whitetop aster   Serratula plumeless saw-wort   Shinnersia   Shinnersoseris beaked skeletonweed   Sigesbeckia St. Paul's wort   Silphium rosinweed   Silybum milk thistle   Simsia bush sunflower   Smallanthus   Solidago goldenrod   Soliva burrweed   Sonchus sow thistle, sowthistle   Sphaeromeria chickensage   Sphagneticola creeping-oxeye   Spilanthes toothache flower   Spiracantha dogwoodleaf   Stebbinsoseris silverpuffs   Stenotus mock goldenweed   Stephanomeria wire lettuce   Stevia candyleaf   Stokesia   Struchium   Stylocline neststraw   Symphyotrichum aster   Synedrella   Synedrellopsis   Synosma   Syntrichopappus Fremont's gold   Tagetes marigold   Tamaulipa boneset   Tanacetum tansy   Taraxacum dandelion   Tephroseris groundsel   Tetradymia horsebrush   Tetragonotheca nerveray   Tetramolopium   Tetraneuris four-nerve daisy   Thelechitonia.   Thelesperma greenthread   Thurovia   Thymophylla pricklyleaf   Tithonia   Tolpis umbrella milkwort   Tonestus serpentweed   Townsendia Townsend daisy   Tracyina Indian headdress   Tragopogon goat's beard, salsify   Trichocoronis bugheal   Trichoptilium   Tridax   Trilisa   Trimorpha boreal daisy   Tripleurospermum mayweed   Tripolium sea aster   Trixis threefold   Tussilago coltsfoot   Uropappus silverpuffs   Urospermum   Vanclevea   Varilla   Venegasia   Venidium   Verbesina crownbeard   Vernonia ironweed   Viguiera goldeneye   Wedelia creepingoxeye   Whitneya   Wilkesia iliau   Wollastonia   Wyethia mule-ears   Xanthisma sleepydaisy   Xanthium cocklebur   Xanthocephalum   Xylorhiza woody aster   Yermo desert yellowhead   Youngia   Zaluzania   Zexmenia   Zinnia and about 1050 more.
Ref. ITIS 35420 2002-09-10 For full list, see Kew

The sunflower family or Asteraceae (formerly Compositae, also known as the aster family) is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants. The family name, aster (Greek), comes from the Genus Aster, referring to the star-shaped flower head of its members, typified as well by the daisy.

Asteraceae is the largest family in the Magnoliophyta with some 1,100 genera and over 20,000 species of plants whose members share as a typical inflorescence (what many people mistake for a single flower) a densely packed cluster (called a flower head) of many individual flowers called florets. These species have one or both of two kinds of florets. The outer perimeter of a flower head like that of sunflower is composed of a row of florets each possessing a long strap-like petal, termed a ligule; these are the ray flowers. The inner portion of the flower head (or disc) is composed of small flowers with tubular corollas; these are the disc flowers. The composition of asteraceous inflorescences varies from all ray flowers (like dandelions, genus Taraxacum) to all disc flowers (like pineapple weeds).

The composite nature of the inflorescences of these plants led early taxonomists to call this family the Compositae. However, the rules governing naming conventions for plant families state that the name should come from the type genus, in this case Aster, thus Asteraceae. Indeed, this type of flower is no longer called a "composite flower" as indicated above.

Many members of Asteracae are copious nectar producers, and are useful for evaluating pollinator populations during their bloom. Centaurea (knapweed), Helianthus annuus (domestic sunflower), and some species of Solidago (goldenrod) are major "honey plants" for beekeepers. Solidago produces relatively high protein pollen, which helps honeybees overwinter.

A typical Asteraceae flower 'head
(here Bidens torta) showing the individual flowers
(click to enlarge).

References

• ITIS report 2002-09-10
• Walters, Dirk R. and David J. Keil (1996). Vascular plant taxonomy. 4th ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dubuque, Iowa

Referenced By