Asteraceae
Asteraceae image
Sue Carnahan
  • 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 inventory project: Intermountain Regional Herbarium Network || << 1 - 50 taxa >>
Acamptopappus shockleyi
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Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus
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Achillea filipendulina
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Achillea millefolium
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Acourtia wrightii
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Acroptilon repens
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Adenophyllum cooperi
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Adenophyllum porophylloides
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Ageratina herbacea
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Ageratina occidentalis
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Ageratum houstonianum
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Agoseris aurantiaca
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Agoseris glauca
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Agoseris grandiflora
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Agoseris heterophylla
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Agoseris hirsuta
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Agoseris parviflora
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Agoseris retrorsa
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Agoseris x elata
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Almutaster pauciflorus
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Amberboa moschata
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Ambrosia acanthicarpa
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Ambrosia artemisiifolia
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Ambrosia confertiflora
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Ambrosia deltoidea
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Ambrosia dumosa
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Ambrosia eriocentra
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Ambrosia psilostachya
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Ambrosia salsola
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Ambrosia sandersonii
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Ambrosia tomentosa
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Ambrosia trifida
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Amphiachyris dracunculoides
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Amphipappus fremontii
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Anaphalis margaritacea
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Ancistrocarphus filagineus
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Anisocoma acaulis
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Antennaria alpina
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Antennaria anaphaloides
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Antennaria arcuata
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Antennaria argentea
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Antennaria corymbosa
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Antennaria dimorpha
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Antennaria dioica
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Antennaria flagellaris
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Antennaria howellii
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Antennaria luzuloides
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Antennaria marginata
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Antennaria media
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Antennaria microphylla
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