Asteraceous

Asteraceous is an adjective that denotes relation to the Asteraceae, the plant family commonly known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family. The term also describes features typical of this family. The family is placed in the order Asterales and includes a vast diversity of flowering plants distributed worldwide.

Most asteraceous plants produce an inflorescence called a capitulum, or head, that appears to be a single flower but is composed of many small flowers, or florets. Heads are typically surrounded by bracts and can display two morphologies: ray florets around the edge and disk florets in the center, or only disk florets. A few groups have ligulate florets. The fruits are usually achenes, often aided by a tuft of hairs called a pappus for wind dispersal. Leaves vary widely but are often alternate and may exude milky sap.

With about 24,000 species in roughly 1,600 genera, Asteraceae is one of the largest angiosperm families and colonizes a broad range of habitats, from arid deserts to tropical regions and temperate meadows. The family includes many important crops and ornamentals, such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), artichoke (Cynara scolymus), chicory (Cichorium intybus), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and numerous garden varieties.

Taxonomically, the name Asteraceae derives from the genus Aster, from Greek aster, star, reflecting the star-like appearance of many flower heads. The term "asteraceous" is used in botanical descriptions to refer to this family or to features mimicking their characteristic composite inflorescences.