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); 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 group, 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 Ohio Goldenrod; Oligoneuron ohioense (Frank ex Riddell) G.N. Jones [Solidago ohioensis riddell] Riddell's Goldenrod; Oligoneuron riddellii (Frank ex Riddell) Rydb. [Solidago riddellii] Stiff [Hard-Leaved] Goldenrod; Oligoneuron rigidum (L.) Small var. humile (Porter) Nesom [Heart-Leaved-] Golden Ragwort; Packera aurea (L.) A.& D. Löve [Senecio aureus] Butterweed [Goldern Ragwort]; Packera glabella (Poir.) C. Jeffrey Roundleaf Ragwort [Round-Leaved Golden Ragwort]; Packera obovata (Muhl. ex Willd.) W.A. Weber & A. Löve Woolly Ragwort; Packera tomentosa (Michx.) C. Jeffrey Small Palafox; Palafoxia callosa (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray Wild Quinine [American Feverfew]; Parthenium integrifolium L. Camphor Pluchea [Island Marsh Fleabane; Stinkweed]; Pluchea camphorata (L.) DC. White-Flowered Leafcup; Polymnia canadensis L. White Rattlesnakeroot [Lettuce]; Prenanthes alba L. Tall Rattlesnakeroot [Rough White Lettuce]; Prenanthes altissima L. Rough White Lettuce [Rattlesnakeroot]; Prenanthes aspera Michx. Purple [Glaucous] Rattlesnakeroot [Glaucous White Lettuce]; Prenanthes racemosa Michx. var. racemosa Rabbit-Tobacco [Old-Field Balsam]; Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (L.) Hilliard & Burtt ssp. obtusifolium False Dandelion [Carolina Desert-Chicory ]; Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (Walt.) DC. Upright Prairie Coneflower [Mexican Hat]; Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Woot. & Standl. Gray-Headed [Pinnate Prairie] Coneflower; Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnh. Blackeyed Susan; Rudbeckia hirta L. Cutleaf [Green-Headed, Tall] Coneflower; Rudbeckia laciniata L. Missouri Orange Coneflower; Rudbeckia missouriensis Engelm. Ex C.L. Boynt. & Beadle Sweet Coneflower; Rudbeckia subtomentosa Pursh Browneyed Susan [Thin-Leaved- or Three-Lobed Coneflower]; Rudbeckia triloba L. Ohio Goldenrod USDA Oligoneuron ohioense (Frank ex Riddell) G.N. Jones [Solidago ohioensis riddell] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Goose Creek Grasslands, Lenawee County, Michigan Notes: flowers yellow, flat-topped inflorescence (corymbose); leaves ascending, narrowly lanceolate and reduced upward, bases sheathing to stem, lower leaves with long petioles, mostly with single distinct vein, mostly glabrous; stem glabrous; common in wet areas, swamps, bogs, etc.; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2009] Riddell's Goldenrod USDA Oligoneuron riddellii (Frank ex Riddell) Rydb. [Solidago riddellii] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers yellow, somewhat flat-topped inflorescence; leaves very long and narrow, forms a folded sheath to the stem at the base, glabrous, weakly 3(5) veined; stem glabrous; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Stiff [Hard-Leaved] Goldenrod USDA Oligoneuron rigidum (L.) Small [Solidago rigida] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flowers yellow, large for goldenrods, flat-topped flower cluster; upper leaves – ovate to elliptical, feather-veined, clasping and hairy, lower leaves larger with long petioles; stem stout, densely hairy; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2005] [Heart-Leaved] Golden Ragwort USDA Packera aurea (L.) A.& D. Löve [Senecio aureus] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flower (10-20) yellow, disc flowers yellow, many flower heads; basal leaves – long petioles, cordate base, apex rounded, mostly with rounded teeth, upper leaves – pinnatifid, reduced upward and becoming sessile; stem glabrous; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Basal Leaves Butterweed [Goldern Ragwort] USDA Packera glabella (Poir.) C. Jeffrey Asteraceae (Aster Family) Waterville, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers (12-20), yellow, disc flowers yellow, several heads; stem and basal leaves usually similar, once pinnatifid mostly (often irregular), lobes (or teeth) mostly rounded to somewhat pointed; stem and leaves glabrous; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2007] Roundleaf Ragwort [Round- USDA Leaved Golden Ragwort; Squaw-Weed] Packera obovata (Muhl. ex Willd.) W.A. Weber & A. Löve [Senecio obovatus] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers yellow, disc flowers yellow; basal leaves - long-stalked, ovate (paddle-like), tapering to petiole, stem leaves - reduced upward, pinnatifid or with deep teeth, becoming sessile; stem glabrous; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2005] Basal Leaves Woolly Ragwort USDA Packera tomentosa (Michx.) C. Jeffrey Asteraceae (Aster Family) Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma Notes: ray flowers (11-13+), yellow, disc flowers yellow, several heads; stem leaves sessile, mostly pinnately lobed with dense felty hairs, basal leaves lanceolate and unlobed or with a few lobes near base and long petioles with dense felty hairs; spring [V Max Brown, 2011] Small Palafox USDA Palafoxia callosa (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray Asteraceae (Aster Family) Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area, Taney and Stone County, Missouri Notes: discoid; flowers usually solitary, pinkish (rarely white), 5-25+ florets, flowers perfect, bracts hairy; leaves alternate, entire, mostly sessile, linear, often curled under, with appressed hairs; stem sparse to densely (ascending) hairy; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Wild Quinine USDA [American Feverfew] Parthenium integrifolium L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) State Hwy 19, north Oregon County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers widely spaced, few and small, white, disk flowers white, many heads in clusters; lower leaves on long petioles, elliptical to somewhat ovate, long-pointed, well toothed (crenate to serrate), upper leaves small and nearly sessile; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Camphor Pluchea [Island USDA Marsh Fleabane; Stinkweed] Pluchea camphorata (L.) DC. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Big Cane Conservation Area, Butler County, Missouri Notes: involucral bracts white to tan, the corolla is usually pinkish to purplish tinged, heads less than 1 cm in diameter; leaves with short petioles and not clasping, leaf shape varies from lanceolate to nearly ovate- elliptical, toothed or not, hairy below, glands usually present; stem to 2 m but often less, very fine hairy; found in swamps, banks of streams, sloughs, and margins of lakes, ditches, etc.; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2015] White-Flowered Leafcup USDA Polymnia canadensis L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers (4-12) white, 3 rounded tips, disc yellow, peduncles long; leaves large and deeply lobed or pinnatifid, with petioles, upper stem leaves reduced; stem mostly smooth below, hairy above; woods; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] White Rattlesnakeroot [Lettuce] USDA Prenanthes alba L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Davis Memorial Nature Preserve, Adams County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flower heads pedant; cream-colored to pinkish flowers (8-15+), pappus brownish, bracts greenish with a purple or pink tinge with minute white dots, outermost bracts very reduced; leaves highly variable, mostly with long petioles, at least some 3 or 5 palmately lobed, others ovate to triangular; stem mostly glabrous; may be fairly tall; summer to fall (ID heavily based on bracts, a difficult genus) [V Max Brown, 2009] Tall Rattlesnakeroot [Rough USDA White Lettuce] Prenanthes altissima L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate (4-6); flower heads pedant; cream-colored flowers, pappus white-brown-orange, 4-6 inner bracts, smooth often with dark tips; leaves highly variable, lower with long petioles, at least some 3 or 5 palmately lobed, others ovate to triangular; stem mostly glabrous; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Rough White Lettuce USDA [Rattlesnakeroot] Prenanthes aspera Michx. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie, St Clair County, Missouri Notes: ligulate; flowers(8-19) cream or white to slightly yellow, inflorescence very hairy, 6-10 very hairy bracts; leaves usually elliptic, serrate or not, rough above and below, reduced upward, upper leaves sessile, lower sessile or with short petioles; stem often stout, and unbranched, glabrous below but with hairs above middle, usually purple spotted; mid-summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Purple [Glaucous] Rattlesnakeroot USDA [Glaucous White Lettuce] Prenanthes racemosa Michx. var. racemosa Asteraceae (Aster Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flowers(9-16) purplish (pinkish white), inflorescence