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Asteraceae

Asteraceae
Asteraceae image
  • FNA
  • SW Field Guide
  • Resources
Theodore M. Barkley+, Luc Brouillet, John L. Strother in Flora of North America (vol. 19, 20 and 21)
Annuals, biennials, perennials, subshrubs, shrubs, vines, or trees. Roots usually taproots, sometimes fibrous. Stems usually erect, sometimes prostrate to ascending (underground stems sometimes woody caudices or rhizomes, sometimes fleshy). Leaves usually alternate or opposite, sometimes in basal rosettes, rarely in whorls; rarely stipulate, usually petiolate, sometimes sessile, sometimes with bases decurrent onto stems; blades usually simple (margins sometimes 1-2+ times pinnatifid or palmatifid), rarely compound. Inflorescences indeterminate heads (also called capitula); each head usually comprising a surrounding involucre of phyllaries (involucral bracts), a receptacle, and (1-)5-300+ florets; individual heads sessile or each borne on a peduncle; heads borne singly or in usually determinate, rarely indeterminate, arrays (cymiform, corymbiform, racemiform, spiciform, etc.); involucres sometimes subtended by calyculi (sing. calyculus); phyllaries borne in 1-5(-15+) series proximal to (i.e., outside of or abaxial to) the florets; receptacles usually flat to convex, sometimes conic or columnar, either paleate (bearing paleae or receptacular bracts that individually subtend some or all of the florets) or epaleate (lacking paleae); epaleate receptacles sometimes bristly or hairy or bearing subulate enations among the florets. Florets bisexual, pistillate, functionally staminate, or neuter (also called neutral); sepals highly modifed (instead of ordinary sepals, each ovary usually bears a pappus of bristles, awns, and/or scales, sometimes in combination within a single pappus); petals connate, corollas (3-)5-merous, ± actinomorphic or zygomorphic (one or both kinds in a single head, see descriptions of radiate, discoid, liguliflorous, disciform, and radiant following); stamens (4-)5, alternate with corolla lobes, filaments inserted on corollas, usually distinct, anthers introrse, usually connate and forming tubes around styles (rarely filaments connate and anthers distinct; e.g., Heliantheae, Ambrosiinae); ovaries inferior, 2-carpellate, and 1-locular with 1 basally attached, anatropous ovule; styles 1 in each bisexual, functionally staminate, or pistillate floret; each style usually ringed at base by a nectary, distally 2-branched with stigmatic papillae borne on adaxial face of each branch in 2 separate or contiguous lines or in 1 continuous band (
Desert Research Learning Center, Botany Program

The largest angiosperm family with over 22,000 described species globally, it is also one of the most distinctive in terms of its floral morphology. In North America there are 418 genera and about 2,400 species. Variable growth form, resin canals and/or lactifers often present. Leaves simple or compound, spiral or opposite, exstipulate. Inflorescence one or more heads arranged into various types of secondary inflorescences, each head subtended by phyllaries (bracts), heads of five general types: discoid, disciform, radiate, ligulate, and bilabiate. Flowers perfect, imperfect or sterile, radial or bilateral, of three types: bilabiate, disk, or ray/ligulate. Sepals highly modified, forming pappus composed of 2-many scales or bristles that are variously shaped, often hairy, barbed or plumose. Corolla of 5 connate petals, variously shaped. Stamens 5, usually with connate anthers, plunger pollen presentation, 2 connate carpels, and inferior ovaries with basal placentation. Fruit an achene (cypselae), usually arranged in a multiple fruit.

Species within checklist: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument || << 1 - 50 taxa >>
Acourtia nana
Media resource of Acourtia nana
Acourtia wrightii
Media resource of Acourtia wrightii
Adenophyllum porophylloides
Media resource of Adenophyllum porophylloides
Ageratina paupercula
Media resource of Ageratina paupercula
Ambrosia ambrosioides
Media resource of Ambrosia ambrosioides
Ambrosia confertiflora
Media resource of Ambrosia confertiflora
Ambrosia cordifolia
Media resource of Ambrosia cordifolia
Ambrosia deltoidea
Media resource of Ambrosia deltoidea
Ambrosia dumosa
Media resource of Ambrosia dumosa
Ambrosia monogyra
Media resource of Ambrosia monogyra
Arida arizonica
Media resource of Arida arizonica
Arida carnosa
Media resource of Arida carnosa
Artemisia dracunculus
Media resource of Artemisia dracunculus
Baccharis brachyphylla
Media resource of Baccharis brachyphylla
Baccharis salicifolia
Media resource of Baccharis salicifolia
Baccharis sarothroides
Media resource of Baccharis sarothroides
Bahiopsis parishii
Media resource of Bahiopsis parishii
Baileya multiradiata
Media resource of Baileya multiradiata
Baileya pleniradiata
Media resource of Baileya pleniradiata
Bebbia juncea
Media resource of Bebbia juncea
Brickellia californica
Media resource of Brickellia californica
Brickellia frutescens
Media resource of Brickellia frutescens
Calycoseris wrightii
Media resource of Calycoseris wrightii
Carthamus tinctorius
Media resource of Carthamus tinctorius
Centaurea melitensis
Media resource of Centaurea melitensis
Chaenactis stevioides
Media resource of Chaenactis stevioides
Cirsium neomexicanum
Media resource of Cirsium neomexicanum
Diaperia verna
Media resource of Diaperia verna
Eclipta prostrata
Media resource of Eclipta prostrata
Encelia farinosa
Media resource of Encelia farinosa
Encelia frutescens
Media resource of Encelia frutescens
Ericameria laricifolia
Media resource of Ericameria laricifolia
Erigeron canadensis
Media resource of Erigeron canadensis
Erigeron lobatus
Media resource of Erigeron lobatus
Eriophyllum lanosum
Media resource of Eriophyllum lanosum
Gaillardia arizonica
Media resource of Gaillardia arizonica
Gamochaeta stagnalis
Media resource of Gamochaeta stagnalis
Geraea canescens
Media resource of Geraea canescens
Gutierrezia arizonica
Media resource of Gutierrezia arizonica
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Media resource of Gutierrezia sarothrae
Gymnosperma glutinosum
Media resource of Gymnosperma glutinosum
Helianthus annuus
Media resource of Helianthus annuus
Hymenothrix wislizeni
Media resource of Hymenothrix wislizeni
Koanophyllon palmeri
Media resource of Koanophyllon palmeri
Koanophyllon solidaginifolium
Media resource of Koanophyllon solidaginifolium
Lactuca serriola
Media resource of Lactuca serriola
Laennecia coulteri
Media resource of Laennecia coulteri
Logfia arizonica
Media resource of Logfia arizonica
Logfia depressa
Media resource of Logfia depressa
Logfia filaginoides
Media resource of Logfia filaginoides
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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MG-70-19-0057-19].

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