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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: Badlands National Park Plants || << 1 - 50 taxa >>
Achillea millefolium
Media resource of Achillea millefolium
Acroptilon repens
Media resource of Acroptilon repens
Agoseris glauca
Media resource of Agoseris glauca
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Media resource of Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Ambrosia psilostachya
Media resource of Ambrosia psilostachya
Ambrosia trifida
Media resource of Ambrosia trifida
Antennaria dimorpha
Media resource of Antennaria dimorpha
Antennaria microphylla
Media resource of Antennaria microphylla
Antennaria neglecta
Media resource of Antennaria neglecta
Antennaria parvifolia
Media resource of Antennaria parvifolia
Anthemis cotula
Media resource of Anthemis cotula
Arctium lappa
Media resource of Arctium lappa
Artemisia biennis
Media resource of Artemisia biennis
Artemisia campestris
Media resource of Artemisia campestris
Artemisia cana
Media resource of Artemisia cana
Artemisia dracunculus
Media resource of Artemisia dracunculus
Artemisia filifolia
Media resource of Artemisia filifolia
Artemisia frigida
Media resource of Artemisia frigida
Artemisia longifolia
Media resource of Artemisia longifolia
Bidens cernua
Media resource of Bidens cernua
Centaurea biebersteinii
Media resource of Centaurea biebersteinii
Centaurea cyanus
Media resource of Centaurea cyanus
Cirsium arvense
Media resource of Cirsium arvense
Cirsium canescens
Media resource of Cirsium canescens
Cirsium undulatum
Media resource of Cirsium undulatum
Cirsium vulgare
Media resource of Cirsium vulgare
Conyza canadensis
Media resource of Conyza canadensis
Conyza ramosissima
Media resource of Conyza ramosissima
Crepis occidentalis
Media resource of Crepis occidentalis
Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
Media resource of Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
Diaperia prolifera
Media resource of Diaperia prolifera
Dieteria canescens
Media resource of Dieteria canescens
Dyssodia papposa
Media resource of Dyssodia papposa
Echinacea angustifolia
Media resource of Echinacea angustifolia
Echinacea pallida
Media resource of Echinacea pallida
Engelmannia peristenia
Media resource of Engelmannia peristenia
Ericameria parryi
Media resource of Ericameria parryi
Erigeron annuus
Media resource of Erigeron annuus
Erigeron bellidiastrum
Media resource of Erigeron bellidiastrum
Erigeron canus
Media resource of Erigeron canus
Erigeron compositus
Media resource of Erigeron compositus
Erigeron pumilus
Media resource of Erigeron pumilus
Erigeron strigosus
Media resource of Erigeron strigosus
Erigeron subtrinervis
Media resource of Erigeron subtrinervis
Grindelia squarrosa
Media resource of Grindelia squarrosa
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Media resource of Gutierrezia sarothrae
Helianthus annuus
Media resource of Helianthus annuus
Helianthus maximiliani
Media resource of Helianthus maximiliani
Helianthus petiolaris
Media resource of Helianthus petiolaris
Hymenopappus filifolius
Media resource of Hymenopappus filifolius
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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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