The family Asteraceae or, alternatively, family Compositae, known as the aster, daisy or sunflower family, is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants. The family name is derived from the genus Aster and refers to the star-shaped flower head of its members, typified well by the daisy. The Asteraceae is the second largest family in the Division Magnoliophyta, with some 1,100 genera and over 20,000 recognized species. Only the orchid family (Orchidaceae) is larger, with about 25,000 described species.

Plants belonging to the Asteraceae share all the following characteristics (Judd et al., 1999). None of these traits, taken separately, can be considered synapomorphic.

• Inflorescence: a capitulum or flower head
• Syngenesious anthers, i.e. with the stamens fused together at their edges by the anthers, forming a tube
• Ovary with basal arrangement of the ovules
• Ovules one per ovary
• Pappus (a tuft of hairs on a fruit)
• The fruit is an achene
• Sesquiterpenes present in the essential oils, but iridoids lacking.

The most common characteristic of all these plants is an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets (meaning "small flowers").

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Gazania Pruning Tips: Gazania flowers are part of a family of daises known as the Asteraceae family. http://bit.ly/5a0M0J
PhxHousingNews (Phoenix Housing News) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:12:03 -0000
Gazania Pruning Tips: Gazania flowers are part of a family of daises known as the Asteraceae family. http://bit.ly/5a0M0J
Gazania Pruning Tips- Gazania flowers are part of a family of daises known as the Asteraceae family. http://bit.ly/7peiOu
lifestylegurus (Lifestyle Gurus) Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:32:36 -0000
Gazania Pruning Tips- Gazania flowers are part of a family of daises known as the Asteraceae family. http://bit.ly/7peiOu
A New Species of Catolesia (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae) from Bahia, Brazil http://kele.es/nVy
Bio_Network (George Maine) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:31:02 -0000
A New Species of Catolesia (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae) from Bahia, Brazil http://kele.es/nVy
Taxonomic Notes on Chinese Saussurea (Asteraceae, Cardueae) http://kele.es/nVm
Bio_Network (George Maine) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:30:54 -0000
Taxonomic Notes on Chinese Saussurea (Asteraceae, Cardueae) http://kele.es/nVm

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