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 Flat-Topped White Aster [Parasol Whitetop]; Doellingeria umbellata (P. Mill.) Nees var. umbellata Fetid Marigold; Dyssodia papposa (Vent.) A.S. Hitchc. Yellow Coneflower; Echinacea paradoxa (J.B.S. Norton) Britton var. paradoxa [Eastern] Purple Cone-Flower; Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench [Glade or Pale Purple] Coneflower; Echinacea simulata R.L. McGregor OR Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. False Daisy [Yerba De Tajo]; Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Eclipta alba) Carolina Elephant’s-Foot; Elephantopus carolinianus Raeusch. Devil's Grandmother; Elephantopus tomentosus L. Florida Tasselflower; Emilia fosbergii Nicolson (Introduced) White Fireweed [American Burnweed; Pilewort]; Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC. var. hieraciifolia Rubber Rabbitbrush; Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G.L. Nesom & Baird ssp. consimilis (Greene) G.L. Nesom & Baird var. juncea (Greene) G.L. Nesom & Baird [Eastern] Daisy Fleabane [Scabious; Whitetop]; Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. Blackhead Fleabane; Erigeron melanocephalus (A. Nelson) A. Nelson Philadelphia Fleabane; Erigeron philadelphicus L. Robin's Plantain; Erigeron pulchellus Michx. Prairie Fleabane [Narrow-Leaved Daisy Fleabane]; Erigeron strigosus Muhl. ex Willd. Tall Boneset; Eupatorium altissimum L. Dog Fennel; Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small (introduced) Purple [Hollow Stemmed] Joe-Pye-Weed [Trumpetweed]; Eupatorium fistulosum Barratt Spotted JoePyeWeed; Eupatorium maculatum L. Var. maculatum Common Boneset [Throughwort]; Eupatorium perfoliatum L. var. perfoliatum Green-Stemmed [Sweet, Sweetscented] Joe-Pye-Weed; Eupatorium purpureum L. var. purpureum Roundleaf Thoroughwort [Boneset]; Eupatorium rotundifolium L. var. ovatum (Bigelow) Torr. Late Boneset [Lateflowering Thoroughwort]; Eupatorium serotinum Michx. ASTERACEAE – ASTER FAMILY Southern Prairie Aster; Eurybia hemispherica (Alexander) G.L. Nesom Big-Leaved [Leaf] Aster; Eurybia macrophylla (L.) Cass. (Aster macrophylla) Schreber's Aster; Eurybia schreberi (Nees) Nees (Aster schreberi) [Common] Flat-Top [Lance-Leaved; Grass-Leaved] Goldenrod; Euthamia graminifolia (L.) Nutt. var. graminifolia Great Plains Flat-Topped [or Slender-Leaved Goldenrod]; Euthamia gymnospermoides Greene (including E. remota Greene, Slender-Leaved Goldenrod) Flat-Topped White Aster [Parasol Whitetop] USDA Doellingeria umbellata (P. Mill.) Nees var. umbellata Asteraceae (Aster Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: tall plant; ray flowers white (7-15), disk flowers yellow, inflorescence “flat-topped” and dense, flower heads up to one inch; leaves mostly lance- to elliptical-shaped, tapering at both ends, serrate or not, sessile but not clasping; stem and leaves NOT overly pubescent; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Fetid Marigold USDA Dyssodia papposa (Vent.) A.S. Hitchc. Asteraceae (Aster Family) State Hwy 19 (near McCormack lake exit), Oregon County, Missouri Notes: bowl to urn-shaped flower, ray flowers 4-8, yellow with resin dots, disk brownish-yellow, 2 rows of unequal greenish bracts; leaves sessile to clasping, 1-2 pinnate, segments linear, opposite to alternate; unpleasant odor; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Yellow Coneflower USDA Echinacea paradoxa (J.B.S. Norton) Britton var. paradoxa Asteraceae (Aster Family) Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Christian County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers yellow, tips shallowly toothed, spreading to usually drooping, disk flowers brownish (tinged with red) with hardened bracts, involucral bracts glabrous except along margins; leaves narrowly lanceolate, long tapered to base (stem); stem with some hairs; late spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2010] [Eastern] Purple Cone-Flower USDA Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers (10-20) purplish to pink, tips often shallowly toothed, spreading to slightly drooping, disk flowers brownish-purple; leaves ovate to lanceolate, usually toothed, petiolate; stem hairy with stiff short hairs; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] [Glade or Pale Purple] Coneflower USDA Echinacea simulata R.L. McGregor OR Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. Asteraceae (Aster Family) State Hwy 19 (near McCormack Lake Rec. Area), Oregon County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers pale purplish to pink to almost white, strongly drooping, length varies to 10cm; leaves long lanceolate, entire, usually moderately pubescent; stem moderately hairy; summer [If fresh pollen yellow then E. simulata, if pollen white it is E. pallida] – see following slide. [V Max Brown, 2007] Glade or Pale Purple Coneflower USDA Echinacea simulata R.L. McGregor Asteraceae (Aster Family) Near Heber Springs, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: ray flowers pale purplish to pink to almost white, slightly spreading to strongly drooping, length varies to 10cm, pollen light yellow; leaves long lanceolate, entire, usually moderately pubescent; stem moderately hairy; summer [V Max Brown, 2013] False Daisy [Yerba De Tajo] USDA Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (E. alba) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Shawnee State Park, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers very numerous in 2-3 series, white, very small, disk white, 2 series of bracts; leaves opposite, sessile to clasping, lanceolate, shallowly toothed; stem short pubescent; plant prostrate to ascending; often in wet or moist areas; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Carolina Elephant’s-Foot USDA Elephantopus carolinianus Raeusch. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Shawnee State Park, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: corolla white to bluish, 1-5 flowered head set in a secondary head (wider than long) subtended by leaf-like bracts; leaves alternate, lanceolate ovate to ovate with long winged petiole, hairy beneath, hairy or not above; erect plant; often in sandy soils, roadsides and woods; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2009] Devil's Grandmother USDA Elephantopus tomentosus L. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Near Greers Ferry Lake, Cleburne County, Arkansas Notes: Need to change - corolla white to bluish, 1-5 flowered head set in a secondary head (wider than long) subtended by leaf-like, very hairy (tomentose) bracts; basal leaves alternate, lanceolate ovate to ovate with long winged petiole, hairy beneath, hairy or not above, usually flattened to ground, cauline leaves much smaller and few in number; erect plant; in shady or woody areas; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2014] Florida Tasselflower USDA Emilia fosbergii Nicolson (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Cedar Key, Levy county, Florida Notes: small discoid flowers red (to somewhat pink), solitary, urn to bell shaped, green bracts sharp-pointed, corolla exerted 2 to 5 mm from calyx; leaves with clasping bases, mostly oblanceolate and coarsely toothed; upper stem mostly glabrous, lower stem and leaves with some long white hairs; waste (disturbed) areas; fall to spring mostly (all year) [V Max Brown, 2012] White Fireweed [American USDA Burnweed; Pilewort] Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC. var. hieraciifolia Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid: flowers white, base enlarged; leaves long lanceolate, shallow to deeply toothed, sharp tip, sessile to short petiolate, mostly glabrous above with some hairs beneath, leaves feel thin and pliable; stem usually grooved, pubescent or not; tall plant often found on burned land; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Rubber Rabbitbrush USDA Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G.L. Nesom & Baird ssp. consimilis (Greene) G.L. Nesom & Baird var. juncea (Greene) G.L. Nesom & Baird Asteraceae (Aster Family) Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Clarke County, Nevada Notes: low shrub; discoid; flower yellow, tubular disk flowers, terminal clusters; leaves mostly linear, flexible, soft hairy, and greenish-gray; stem woody, many branches from base, to 2+ m in height; desert areas; late summer to fall (many puzzling varieties) [V Max Brown, 2014] [Eastern] Daisy Fleabane USDA [Whitetop or Annual Fleabane] Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. Asteraceae (Aster) Family Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers very numerous, white (or pink-tinged), disk flowers yellow; stem leaves numerous and stand out, sessile but not clasping, coarsely toothed, lower leaves narrowed to base (petiole-like); stem hairy; often earliest fleabane; late spring to fall [V Max Brown, 2005]