Sunflowers | ||||||||||
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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Genera | ||||||||||
Acamptopappus goldenhead Acanthospermum starburr Achillea yarrow Achyrachaena blow wives Acmella spotflower Acourtia desert peony Acroptilon hardheads Russian knapweed Actinospermum Adenocaulon trailplant Adenophyllum dogweed Adenostemma medicineplant Ageratina snakeroot Ageratum whiteweed Agoseris mountain dandelion Almutaster alkalai marsh aster Amberboa Amblyolepis Amblyopappus Ambrosia bursage, ragweed Ampelaster climbing aster Amphiachyris broomweed Amphipappus chaffbush Anacylus Anaphalis pearly everlasting Ancistrocarphus neststraw, woolly fishhooks Anisocoma Antennaria pussytoes Anthemis Roman chamomile Antheropeas Easter bonnets Aphanostephus doze daisy Arctium burdock Arctotheca capeweed Arctotis Argyranthemum dill daisy Argyroxiphium silversword Arnica arnica Arnoglossum Indian plaintain Arnoseris Artemisia tarragon, sagebrush, sagewort, wormwood, mugwort Asanthus brickellbush Aster L. Astranthium western daisy Atrichoseris Ayapana Baccharis Bahia Baileya desert marigold Balduina honeycombhead Balsamita Balsamorhiza balsamroot Baltimora Barkleyanthus willow ragwort Bartlettia Bebbia sweetbush Bellis daisy Benitoa Berkheya Berlandiera greeneyes Bidens beggartick devil's sticktight, Spanish needles Bigelowia rayless goldenrod Blennosperma stickyseed Blepharipappus Blepharizonia Blumea false oxtongue Boltonia doll's daisy Borrichia seaside tansy Brachyactis rayless aster Bradburia Brickellia brickelbush Brickelliastrum brickellbush Brintonia mock goldenrod Cacalia Cacaliopsis Calendula marigold Callistephus Calotis Calycadenia western rosinweed Calycoseris tackstem Calyptocarpus Canadanthus mountain aster Carduus plumeless thistle Carlina carline thistle Carminatia Carphephorus chaffhead Carphochaete bristlehead Carthamus distaff thistle Castalis Centaurea knapweed, star thistle Centipeda Centratherum Chaenactis pincushion Chaetadelpha skeletonweed Chaetopappa least daisy Chamaechaenactis Chamaemelum dogfennel Chamomilla chamomilla pineapple weed Chaptalia sunbonnetts Chloracantha Nesom Chondrilla Chromolaena thoroughwort Chrysactinia Chrysanthellum Chrysanthemum Chrysogonum Chrysoma Chrysopsis goldenaster Chrysothamnus rabbitbrush Cichorium chicory Cirsium thistle Clappia clapdaisy Clibadium Cnicus blessed thistle Columbiadoria Complaya Condylidium villalba Conoclinium thoroughwort mistflower Conyza horseweed Coreocarpus Coreopsis tickseed Corethrogyne sandaster Cosmos Cotula L. waterbuttons Crassocephalum ragleaf Crepis hawksbeard Critonia thoroughwort Crocidium spring-gold Croptilon scratchdaisy Crupina Cyanopsis knapweed Cyanthillium ironweed Cymophora Cynara artichoke Dahlia Delairea capeivy Dendranthema arctic daisy Dichaetophora Dicoria twinbugs Dicranocarpus Dimeresia Dimorphotheca cape marigold Dittrichia Doellingeria whitetop Doronicum false leopardbane Dracopis coneflower Dubautia Dugaldia Dysodiopsis dogfennel Dyssodia dogweed Eastwoodia Eatonella Echinacea coneflower Echinops globethistle Eclipta Egletes tropic daisy Elephantopus elephantsfoot Eleutheranthera Emilia tasselflower Encelia brittlebush Enceliopsis sunray Engelmannia Engelmann's daisy Enydra swampwort Erechtites burnweed Ericameria goldenbush heath goldenrod Erigeron daisy, fleabane Eriophyllum woolly sunflower Eucephalus aster, eucephalus Euchiton Eupatorium Joe-Pye weed thoroughwort, snakeweed Euphrosyne Eurybia aster Euryops Euthamia goldentop Evax pygmy cudweed Facelis trampweed Filago cottonrose Fitchia Flaveria yellowtops Fleischmannia thoroughwort Florestina lourensia tarwort Flyriella brickellbush Gaillardia blanketflower Galinsoga gallant-soldier Gamochaeta everlasting Garberia Gazania Geraea desert sunflower Gerbera Transvaal daisy Glyptopleura Gnaphalium cudweed Gochnatia Grindelia gumweed Guardiola Guizotia Gundelia Gundlachia Gutierrezia snakeweed Gymnosperma Less. Gymnostyles burrweed Gynura Cass. Haplocarpha onefruit Haploesthes false broomweed Hartwrightia Hasteola false Indian plantain Hazardia bristleweed Hebeclinium thoroughwort Hecastocleis Hedypnois Helenium sneezeweed Helianthella Helianthus sunflower Helichrysum strawflower Heliomeris false goldeneye Heliopsis Hemizonia tarweed Herrickia Hesperevax dwarf-cudweed Hesperodoria glowweed Hesperomannia island-aster Heteranthemis oxeye Heterosperma Heterotheca false goldenaster telegraph plant Hieracium hawkweed Hofmeisteria Holocarpha tarweed Holozonia Hulsea alpinegold Hymenoclea burrobrush, burrobush Hymenopappus Hymenothrix thimblehead Hymenoxys rubberweed Hypochaeris catsear Ichthyothere Inula yellowhead Ionactis aster Isocarpha pearlhead Isocoma goldenbush, jimmyweed Iva marshelder, sumpweed Ixeris Jamesianthus Jaumea Jefea Kalimeris aster Keysseria Koanophyllon thoroughwort Koyamacalia Krigia dwarfdandelion Lactuca lettuce Laennecia laennecia, laennicia Lagascea Lagenifera island-daisy Lagophylla hareleaf Lapsana nipplewort Lapsanastrum nipplewort Lasianthaea Lasiospermum cocoonhead Lasthenia goldfields Launaea Layia tidytips Leibnitzia sunbonnets Lembertia Leontodon hawkbit Lepidospartum broomsage Lessingia vinegarweed Leucanthemella Leucanthemopsis Leucanthemum daisy, oxeye daisy Liatris blazing star, gay feather Lindheimera Lipochaeta nehe Litrisa Logfia cottonrose Luina silverback Lygodesmia skeleton weed Machaeranthera goldenweed tansyaster Madia tarweed Malacothrix desert dandelion Malperia Mantisalca Marshallia Barbara's buttons Matricaria mayweed Megalodonta watermarigold Melampodium blackfoot Melanthera squarestem Micropus cottonseed Microseris silverpuffs Mikania hempvine Monolopia Monoptilon desertstar Montanoa Mycelis Neurolaena Nicolletia hole-in-the-sand Nothocalais prairie-dandelion Oclemena aster Oligoneuron goldenrod Omalotheca arctic cudweed Oncosiphon Onopordum cotton thistle Oonopsis false goldenweed Oreochrysum goldenrod Oreostemma aster Orochaenactis Osmadenia Nutt. Osteospermum daisybush Packeraragwort Palafoxia palafox Parasenecio Indian plantain Parthenice Parthenium feverfew Pascalia Pectis cinchweed, fetid marigold Pentachaeta pygmy daisy Pentzia Perezia Pericallis ragwort Pericome Perityle rock daisy Petasites butterbur Petradoria rock goldenrod Peucephyllum pygmy cedar Phalacroseris mock dandelion Phoebanthus false sunflower Picradeniopsis bahia Picris oxtongue Picrothamnus bud sagebrush Pinaropappus rock lettuce Piptocarpha ash daisy Piptocoma velvetshrub Pityopsis silkgrass Platyschkuhria basindaisy Pleurocoronis Pluchea camphorweed, fleabane Plummera Podocoma Polymnia Porophyllum poreleaf Prenanthella Prenanthes rattlesnakeroot Prionopsis Proustia Psacalium Indianbush Psathyrotes turtleback Pseudelephantopus dog's-tongue Pseudobahia sunburst Pseudoclappia false clapdaisy Pseudognaphalium false cudweed cudweed Pseudogynoxys Psilactis tansyaster Psilocarphus woollyheads Psilostrophe paperflower Pterocaulon blackroot Pulicaria false fleabane Pyrrhopappus desert chicory Pyrrocoma goldenweed Rafinesquia California chicory Raillardella silvermat Raillardiopsis Rainiera Ratibida prairie coneflower Rayjacksonia tansyaster Reichardia brighteyes Remya Rhagadiolus Rigiopappus Rolandra yerba de plata Roldana groundsel Rudbeckia coneflower Rugelia Rugel's Indian plantain Sachsia Salmea bejuco de miel Santolina lavender cotton Sanvitalia creeping zinnia Sartwellia glowwort Saussurea saw-wort Schkuhria false threadleaf Sclerocarpus bonebract Sclerolepis bogbutton Scolymus goldenthistle Scorzonera Senecio groundsel, ragwort Sericocarpus whitetop aster Serratula plumeless saw-wort Shinnersia Shinnersoseris beaked skeletonweed Sigesbeckia St. Paul's wort Silphium rosinweed Silybum milk thistle Simsia bush sunflower Smallanthus Solidago goldenrod Soliva burrweed Sonchus sow thistle, sowthistle Sphaeromeria chickensage Sphagneticola creeping-oxeye Spilanthes toothache flower Spiracantha dogwoodleaf Stebbinsoseris silverpuffs Stenotus mock goldenweed Stephanomeria wire lettuce Stevia candyleaf Stokesia Struchium Stylocline neststraw Symphyotrichum aster Synedrella Synedrellopsis Synosma Syntrichopappus Fremont's gold Tagetes marigold Tamaulipa boneset Tanacetum tansy Taraxacum dandelion Tephroseris groundsel Tetradymia horsebrush Tetragonotheca nerveray Tetramolopium Tetraneuris four-nerve daisy Thelechitonia. Thelesperma greenthread Thurovia Thymophylla pricklyleaf Tithonia Tolpis umbrella milkwort Tonestus serpentweed Townsendia Townsend daisy Tracyina Indian headdress Tragopogon goat's beard, salsify Trichocoronis bugheal Trichoptilium Tridax Trilisa Trimorpha boreal daisy Tripleurospermum mayweed Tripolium sea aster Trixis threefold Tussilago coltsfoot Uropappus silverpuffs Urospermum Vanclevea Varilla Venegasia Venidium Verbesina crownbeard Vernonia ironweed Viguiera goldeneye Wedelia creepingoxeye Whitneya Wilkesia iliau Wollastonia Wyethia mule-ears Xanthisma sleepydaisy Xanthium cocklebur Xanthocephalum Xylorhiza woody aster Yermo desert yellowhead Youngia Zaluzania Zexmenia Zinnia and about 1050 more. | ||||||||||
Ref. ITIS 35420 2002-09-10 For full list, see Kew |
The sunflower family or Asteraceae (formerly Compositae, also known as the aster family) is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants. The family name, aster (Greek), comes from the Genus Aster, referring to the star-shaped flower head of its members, typified as well by the daisy.
Asteraceae is the largest family in the Magnoliophyta with some 1,100 genera and over 20,000 species of plants whose members share as a typical inflorescence (what many people mistake for a single flower) a densely packed cluster (called a flower head) of many individual flowers called florets. These species have one or both of two kinds of florets. The outer perimeter of a flower head like that of sunflower is composed of a row of florets each possessing a long strap-like petal, termed a ligule; these are the ray flowers. The inner portion of the flower head (or disc) is composed of small flowers with tubular corollass; these are the disc flowers. The composition of asteraceous inflorescences varies from all ray flowers (like dandelions, genus Taraxacum) to all disc flowers (like pineapple weeds).
The composite nature of the inflorescences of these plants led early taxonomists to call this family the Compositae. However, the rules governing naming conventions for plant families state that the name should come from the type genus, in this case Aster, thus Asteraceae. Indeed, this type of flower is no longer called a "composite flower" as indicated above.
Many members of Asteracae are copious nectar producers, and are useful for evaluating pollinator populations during their bloom. Centaurea (knapweed), Helianthus annuus (domestic sunflower), and some species of Solidago (goldenrod) are major "honey plants" for beekeepers. Solidago produces relatively high protein pollen, which helps honeybees overwinter.
A typical Asteraceae flower head
(here Bidens torta) showing the individual flowers
().
References