Asteraceae

Asteraceae

▪ plant family
also called  Compositae 

      the aster, daisy, or composite family of the flowering-plant order Asterales, with more than 1,600 genera and almost 24,000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed throughout the world.

 Asteraceae is one of the largest plant families and is important primarily for its many garden ornamentals, such as ageratums, asters, chrysanthemums, cosmos, dahlias, marigolds (Tagetes), and zinnias. Other well-known garden plants and wildflowers include Boltonia, Brachycome, burdock (Arctium), butterbur (Petasites), Calendula, catsear (Hypochoeris), cudweed (Filago and Gnaphalium), Gerbera, hawksbeard (Crepis), Inula, Matricaria, and Piqueria.

 Some genera include noxious weeds, such as dandelion (Taraxacum), ragweed (Ambrosia), and thistle (Carduus, Cirsium, and others). Artichoke (Cynara), endive (Cichorium), safflower (Carthamus), salsify (Tragopogon), lettuce (Lactuca), sunflower (Helianthus), and wormwood (Artemisia) are economically important for the products derived from their seeds, leaves, or tubers.

      Members of the family have flower heads composed of many small flowers, called florets, that are surrounded by bracts (leaflike structures). Bell-shaped disk florets form the centre of each head; strap-shaped ray florets extend out like petals from the centre and are sometimes reflexed (bent back). Some species have flowers with only disk or only ray florets. The sepals have been reduced to a ring of hairs, scales, or bristles that is called the pappus on the mature fruit. The one-seeded fruit (an achene) has a hard outer covering.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Asteraceae — Temporal range: 49–0 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • Asteraceae — Asteraceae …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Asteraceae — n. 1. a family of plants with heads composed of many florets, including the aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia. Syn: {Compositae}, family {Compositae}, family {Asteraceae}, aster family… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Asteraceae — Asteraceae,   die Korbblütler …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Asteraceae —   Asteraceae …   Wikipedia Español

  • Asteraceae — Asteraceae …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Asteraceae — Korbblütler Margerite (Leucanthemum vulgare), Asteroideae, Illustration: (2) zygomorphe Zunge …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Asteraceae — Los Aster o mirasol, de la familia Asteraceae, también llamadas Compuestas y Compositae , son plantas herbáceas o a veces arbustivas. El nombre proviene del género Aster y hace referencia a sus cabezas florales en forma de estrella, tipificadas… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Asteraceae — noun plants with heads composed of many florets: aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia • Syn: ↑Compositae, ↑family Compositae, ↑family Asteraceae, ↑aster family • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Asteraceae — …   Википедия

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