Skip Navigation
Sign In
  • Home
  • Search
    • Search Collections
    • Map Search
  • Chicago Botanic Garden
    • Project Information
    • Checklists
    • Create a Checklist
    • Dynamic Key
  • Denver Botanic Gardens
    • Project Information
    • Checklists
    • Create a Checklist
    • Dynamic Key
  • Desert Botanical Garden
    • Project Information
    • Checklists
    • Create a Checklist
    • Dynamic Key
  • NY Botanical Garden
    • Project Information
    • Checklists
    • Create a Checklist
    • Dynamic Key
  • Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
    • Project Information
    • Checklists
    • Create a Checklist
    • Dynamic Key
  • Sitemap

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: Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge || << 1 - 50 taxa >>
Achillea millefolium
Media resource of Achillea millefolium
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Media resource of Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Ambrosia psilostachya
Media resource of Ambrosia psilostachya
Ambrosia trifida
Media resource of Ambrosia trifida
Arnoglossum plantagineum
Media resource of Arnoglossum plantagineum
Baccharis halimifolia
Media resource of Baccharis halimifolia
Bidens aristosa
Media resource of Bidens aristosa
Bidens discoidea
Media resource of Bidens discoidea
Bidens laevis
Media resource of Bidens laevis
Boltonia diffusa
Media resource of Boltonia diffusa
Bradburia pilosa
Media resource of Bradburia pilosa
Carduus nutans
Media resource of Carduus nutans
Cirsium horridulum
Media resource of Cirsium horridulum
Cirsium texanum
Media resource of Cirsium texanum
Conoclinium coelestinum
Media resource of Conoclinium coelestinum
Conyza canadensis
Media resource of Conyza canadensis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Media resource of Coreopsis lanceolata
Coreopsis tinctoria
Media resource of Coreopsis tinctoria
Echinacea pallida
Media resource of Echinacea pallida
Eclipta prostrata
Media resource of Eclipta prostrata
Elephantopus carolinianus
Media resource of Elephantopus carolinianus
Elephantopus tomentosus
Media resource of Elephantopus tomentosus
Erechtites hieraciifolia
Media resource of Erechtites hieraciifolia
Erigeron philadelphicus
Media resource of Erigeron philadelphicus
Erigeron strigosus
Media resource of Erigeron strigosus
Eupatorium capillifolium
Media resource of Eupatorium capillifolium
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Media resource of Eupatorium perfoliatum
Eupatorium rotundifolium
Media resource of Eupatorium rotundifolium
Eupatorium semiserratum
Media resource of Eupatorium semiserratum
Eupatorium serotinum
Media resource of Eupatorium serotinum
Euthamia gymnospermoides
Media resource of Euthamia gymnospermoides
Euthamia leptocephala
Media resource of Euthamia leptocephala
Gaillardia pulchella
Media resource of Gaillardia pulchella
Gamochaeta purpurea
Media resource of Gamochaeta purpurea
Helenium amarum
Media resource of Helenium amarum
Helenium flexuosum
Media resource of Helenium flexuosum
Helianthus angustifolius
Media resource of Helianthus angustifolius
Helianthus grosseserratus
Media resource of Helianthus grosseserratus
Helianthus hirsutus
Media resource of Helianthus hirsutus
Helianthus maximiliani
Media resource of Helianthus maximiliani
Heterotheca subaxillaris
Media resource of Heterotheca subaxillaris
Hymenopappus artemisiifolius
Media resource of Hymenopappus artemisiifolius
Iva angustifolia
Media resource of Iva angustifolia
Iva annua
Media resource of Iva annua
Krigia cespitosa
Media resource of Krigia cespitosa
Lactuca canadensis
Media resource of Lactuca canadensis
Liatris elegans
Media resource of Liatris elegans
Liatris pycnostachya
Media resource of Liatris pycnostachya
Mikania scandens
Media resource of Mikania scandens
Packera glabella
Media resource of Packera glabella
Institute for Museum and Library Services KU BI Logo Logo for the Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MG-70-19-0057-19].

EcoFlora is part of the SEINet Portal Network. Learn more here.

Powered by Symbiota.