ASTERACEAE – ASTER FAMILY Plant: herbs (annual or perennial), some shrubs, rarely vines or trees. Stem: Root: Often with tubers, rhizomes, stolons, or fleshy roots Leaves: mostly simple, some compound, alternate or opposite, rarely whorled. Flowers: flower head supported by an involucre (whorl of green bracts or phyllaries); each head composed of small flowers (composite) of flat ray-like (ligulate) flowers on the outside (ray flowers) and central tube-like flowers (disk flowers) – some species may have only one or the other. Calyx absent or modified into hairs, bristles, scales or a crown (pappus); 5 stamens (syngenesious -united by anthers); 5 united petals (sympetalous), receptacle may also have hairs or bristles. Both pappus and receptacle hairs/bristles may be used in ID. Fruit: achene (small, one-seeded, inferior ovule, 2 carpels, hard shell fruit) often with persisting crowned pappus which helps with seed dispersal. Other: Very large family, divided into sub-families and tribes, once named Compositae; 1-2,000 genera, 20,000+ species. Dicotyledons Group WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive ASTERACEAE – ASTER FAMILY Straggler Daisy; Calyptocarpus vialis Less. (Introduced) Nodding [Plumeless] Thistle; Carduus nutans L. (Introduced) Garden Cornflower [Bachelor’s Button; Blue Bottle]; Centaurea cyanus L. (Introduced) Spotted Knapweed; Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek (Introduced) Woody [Bush] Goldenrod; Chrysoma pauciflosculosa (Michx.) Greene (Solidago pauciflosculosa) Green and Gold; Chrysogonum virginianum L. Soft Goldenaster; Chrysopsis pilosa Nutt. Chicory; Cichorium intybus L. (Introduced) Tall Thistle; Cirsium altissimum (L.) Hill Canada Thistle; Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Soft [Carolina] Thistle; Cirsium carolinianum (Walter) Fernald & B.G. Schub. Field [Pasture]Thistle; Cirsium discolor (Muhl. ex Willd.) Spreng. Yellow [Bristly; Horrid] Thistle; Cirsium horridulum Michx. var. horridulum Swamp [Fen] Thistle; Cirsium muticum Michx. Marsh [European] Swamp Thistle; Cirsium palustre (L.) Scop. (Introduced) Bull Thistle; Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. [Blue] Mist Flower; Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC. (Eupatorium coelestinum L.) Horseweed; Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. var. canadensis Dwarf Horseweed [Fleabane]; Conyza Conyza ramosissima Cronquist (Erigeron divaricatus Michx.) Largeflower Tickseed; Coreopsis grandiflora Hogg ex Sweet Lanceleaf [Sand] Tickseed [Coreopsis]; Coreopsis lanceolata L. Stiff Tickseed [Prairie Coreopsis]; Coreopsis palmata Nutt. Star Tickseed; Coreopsis pubescens Ell. Golden Tickseed [Coreopsis]; Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. Tall Coreopsis [Tickseed]; Coreopsis tripteris L. Garden Cosmos; Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. (Introduced) Straggler Daisy USDA Calyptocarpus vialis Less. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) San Antonio,Texas Note: ray flowers yellow, small (up to 1 cm) and notched, disk flowers yellow, bracts pointed, hairy; leaves ovate to more often deltoid, short petiolate, slightly toothed, densely hairy; stem with dense appressed hairs; often a sprawling lawn pest; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Nodding [Plumeless] Thistle USDA Carduus nutans L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Opening Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid; flower heads solitary, often nodding, pinkish-purple, bracts wide and spine-tipped, outer ones usually bent back (down), flower stalk is NOT winged; leaves deeply lobed and with spines; stem winged and spiny; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2008] Garden Cornflower USDA [Bachelor’s Button; Blue Bottle] Centaurea cyanus L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Friedrich Wilderness Park, Bexar County, Texas Notes: discoid; florets usually blue but can also be pink or white, bracts ovate lanceolate with triangular teeth (not spine-tipped), flower solitary on tips of branches; lower leaves with linear lobes, upper leaves mostly linear; stem and leaves very hairy especially when young; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Spotted Knapweed USDA Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Newport, North Carolina Notes: discoid; white, pink or purple thistle-like flowers, solitary on tips of branches, base of flower covered with black-tipped fringed bracts (no spines); leaves divided into 2-4 pairs of narrow or linear segments, reduced upward; stem hairy especially when young, somewhat angled; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Woody [Bush] Goldenrod USDA Chrysoma pauciflosculosa (Michx.) Greene (Solidago pauciflosculosa) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Point Washington State forest, Walton County, Florida Notes: evergreen shrub; ray and disc flowers yellow, disc tubular, inflorescence in dense terminal clusters above leaves; leaves alternate, sessile, entire, somewhat elliptical, glandular dotted, with a single vein; stem erect, woody and branched; most often in dunes and sand hills; spring to fall [V Max Brown, 2012] Green and Gold USDA Chrysogonum virginianum L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Close Memorian Park, Greene County, Springfield, Missouri Note: ray flowers yellow, small (up to 1.5+ cm) and notched at tip (usually “toothed”), fertile, disk flowers yellow (sterile), 2 series of 5 bracts pointed, hairy; leaves opposite, ovate to lanceolate-ovate, crenate, and hairy, petioles hairy; fruit a black nutlet; often a sprawling plant; spring to early summer (a transplant to the gardens) [V Max Brown, 2014] Soft Goldenaster USDA Chrysopsis pilosa Nutt. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers yellow (15-30),disc flowers yellow, bracts in 3-4 series, linear and sharp pointed; leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate, pubescent, sessile to somewhat clasping, a few teeth or entire, more with teeth toward base of plant; stem with lines (grooved), short to long pubescent, some glandular; plant often somewhat “sticky”; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Chicory USDA Cichorium intybus L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flowers sessile to very short-stalked, blue (rarely white or pink), many bracts in 2 series; basal and lower leaves lanceolate, sometimes shallowly lobed, toothed, somewhat pubescent to glabrous, much reduced upward; stem angled, slightly pubescent or not; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] Tall Thistle USDA Cirsium altissimum (L.) Hill Asteraceae (Aster Family) Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: discoid; flower pink to purple, solitary, bracts with short spines, on short leafy pedicel; leaves lanceolate, with teeth or shallow lobes but not usually pinnatifid, margins with spines, white wooly beneath, mostly glabrous above or with some pubescence; stem ridged and pubescent but not winged or woolly pubescent; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Canada [Field] Thistle USDA Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid; flower heads small and numerous in somewhat flat- topped clusters, pink to purple (rarely white), bracts with minute spines; leaves lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly lobed, usually with spines, leafy up the stem, pubescence variable; stem glabrous to somewhat hairy, NOT winged; plants often colonial; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] Soft [Carolina] Thistle USDA Cirsium carolinianum (Walter) Fernald & B.G. Schub. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Greers Ferry Lake area, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: discoid; flower purple, solitary, bracts with short spines, on long pedicels; leaves lanceolate, with very shallow teeth or lobes and spines, white wooly beneath, mostly glabrous or slightly hairy above, most leaves in basal half; stem ridged and glabrous to slightly hairy but not winged or woolly; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2011] Field [Pasture] Thistle USDA Cirsium discolor (Muhl. ex Willd.) Spreng. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid; flower pink to purple (sometimes white), solitary, bracts with spines; leaves deeply lobed, spiny, wooly white beneath, mostly glabrous above or with some hairs, small leaves often at base of flower; stem ridged and somewhat hairy, NOT winged or woolly; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2005] Yellow [Bristly; Horrid] Thistle USDA Cirsium horridulum Michx. var. horridulum Asteraceae (Aster Family) Amelia Island, Nassau County, Florida Notes: discoid; flower creamy yellow to pink, purple and/or white, solitary, involucre bracts with spines (often tinged in red); leaves basal and cauline, pinnatifid, abundant spines, matted wooly white hairs above and below; stem not winged, leaf bases somewhat decurrent, stem with dense white wooly hairs (tomentose); erect plant; flatwoods to beaches and other environments; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2013] Swamp [Fen] Thistle USDA Cirsium muticum Michx. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid; flower pink to purple (rarely white), solitary on long pedicels, bracts without spines, usually covered with a cobweb-like pubescence; leaves deeply lobed or pennatifid, somewhat spiny on margins, green and somewhat hairy beneath, mostly glabrous above or with some hairs, leaves reduced upward on stem; stem ridged but not winged or woolly pubescent; tall plant (1-2 m); fens and wetter areas; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2008] Marsh [European] Swamp Thistle USDA Cirsium palustre (L.) Scop. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster