• NSF NEON | Open Data to Understand our Ecosystems
  • Biorepository Data Portal

  • Home
  • Search
    • Sample search
    • Map search
    • Dynamic Species List
    • Taxonomic Explorer
  • Images
    • Image Browser
    • Image Search
  • Datasets
    • Research Datasets and Special Collections
    • Carabidae Checklists with Keys
    • Mosquito Checklists with Keys
    • Checklist: Research Sites - Invertebrates
    • Checklist: Research Sites - Plants
    • Checklist: Research Sites - Vertebrates
  • Sample Use
    • Sample Use Policy
    • Sample Request
    • Sample Archival Request
    • Dataset Publishing
  • How to Cite
  • Additional Information
    • Tutorials and Help
    • Biorepository Staff
    • About NEON
    • NEON Data Portal
    • ASU Biocollections
    • About Symbiota
  • Getting Started
Login New Account Sitemap
Asteraceae
Asteraceae image
Max Licher
  • FNA
  • 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 checklist: Central Plains Experimental Range NEON (CPER) plants - Central Plains (D10)
Ambrosia acanthicarpa
Image of Ambrosia acanthicarpa
Ambrosia psilostachya
Image of Ambrosia psilostachya
Ambrosia tomentosa
Image of Ambrosia tomentosa
Antennaria microphylla
Images
not available
Artemisia campestris
Image of Artemisia campestris
Artemisia dracunculus
Image of Artemisia dracunculus
Artemisia frigida
Image of Artemisia frigida
Artemisia ludoviciana
Image of Artemisia ludoviciana
Cirsium canescens
Images
not available
Cirsium flodmanii
Image of Cirsium flodmanii
Cirsium ochrocentrum
Image of Cirsium ochrocentrum
Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
Images
not available
Dieteria canescens
Image of Dieteria canescens
Dyssodia papposa
Image of Dyssodia papposa
Ericameria nauseosa
Image of Ericameria nauseosa
Erigeron bellidiastrum
Image of Erigeron bellidiastrum
Erigeron canadensis
Image of Erigeron canadensis
Grindelia squarrosa
Image of Grindelia squarrosa
Gutierrezia sarothrae
Image of Gutierrezia sarothrae
Helianthus annuus
Image of Helianthus annuus
Helianthus petiolaris
Image of Helianthus petiolaris
Helianthus pumilus
Images
not available
Heterotheca villosa
Image of Heterotheca villosa
Hymenopappus tenuifolius
Image of Hymenopappus tenuifolius
Iva axillaris
Images
not available
Lactuca pulchella
Image of Lactuca pulchella
Lactuca serriola
Image of Lactuca serriola
Liatris punctata
Image of Liatris punctata
Lygodesmia juncea
Image of Lygodesmia juncea
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia
Image of Machaeranthera tanacetifolia
Packera tridenticulata
Images
not available
Picradeniopsis oppositifolia
Image of Picradeniopsis oppositifolia
Pseudognaphalium stramineum
Image of Pseudognaphalium stramineum
Ratibida columnifera
Image of Ratibida columnifera
Senecio riddellii
Images
not available
Senecio spartioides
Image of Senecio spartioides
Solidago canadensis
Image of Solidago canadensis
Stephanomeria pauciflora
Image of Stephanomeria pauciflora
Symphyotrichum falcatum
Images
not available
Taraxacum officinale
Image of Taraxacum officinale
Thelesperma filifolium
Image of Thelesperma filifolium
Thelesperma megapotamicum
Image of Thelesperma megapotamicum
Townsendia grandiflora
Images
not available
Tragopogon dubius
Image of Tragopogon dubius
Tragopogon porrifolius
Image of Tragopogon porrifolius
Verbesina encelioides
Image of Verbesina encelioides
Xanthisma spinulosum
Image of Xanthisma spinulosum
Xanthium strumarium
Image of Xanthium strumarium
NSF NEON | Open Data to Understand our Ecosystems The National Ecological Observatory Network is a major facility fully funded by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.