University of Wisconsin-Madison | Botany Plant Growth Facilities

Botanical Garden

Home	Introduction	History	Plants Data	Classification	Garden Arts	Garden Photos	Credits	Become a Friend

Asteraceae

Classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order Type: Eudicots-Asterids II Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Family common Name: Aster Family Genus: Achillea, Ageratum, Aster, Calendula, Centaurea, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dahlia, Denderanthema, Echinacea, Gazania, Helianthus, Inula, Leucanthemum, Liatris, Ligularia, Rudbeckia, Silphium, Solidago, Tagetes, Tithonia, Zinnia Defining Features: The family has a distinctive floral structure, with heads of many small flowers resembling one large flower. The distinctive floral structure results in a specialized terminology for the inflorescence. Calyx is reduced and corolla is tubular, bilabiate or split-monosymmetric. The family has been divided into several subfamilies, such as Barnadesioideae, the Cichorioideae and the Asteroideae. Defining Morphology: Floral Features: Inflorescences of involucrate heads (capitula); modified calyx of scales, bristles, or hairs. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Nectary is at apex of ovary. Ovaries are inferior with basal placentation. Fruit and Seed Features: Dicotyledon. Fruit is an achene (very rarely a berry or drupe). Vegetative Features: Habit as herbs, shrubs, infrequently trees and vines. Leaves are mostly alternate with various margins. Stipules are lacking. Distribution: Cosmopolitan, yet under represented in tropical rainforest. Economic Use: The large size of this family and the presence of secondary compounds in abundance have made many species useful medicinally worldwide. Many food plants also come from this family as well as a large variety of ornamentals. Number of Genera Globally: 1535 Number of Species Globally: 23,000

Comments, Questions, Desire to Support: Contact Mo Fayyaz, Greenhouse/Garden Director.

File last updated: 2011.

Copyright © 2004 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.