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 Common Tansy; Tanacetum vulgare L. (Introduced) Common Dandelion; Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers ssp. Officinale (Introduced) Stemless Four-Nerve Daisy; Tetraneuris acaulis (Pursh) Greene Graylocks Four-Nerve [Alpine] Daisy; Tetraneuris grandiflora (Torr. & A. Gray ex A. Gray) K.F. Parker Lakeside Daisy [Eastern Fournerved Daisy]; Tetraneuris herbacea Greene (Hymenoxys acaulis) Villous Four-Nerve Daisy; Tetraneuris scaposa (DC.) Greene var. villosa (Shinners) Shinners (Hymenoxys scaposa ) Yellow Salsify [Sand Goats-Beard]; Tragopogon dubius Scop. (Introduced) Common Goat’s-Beard [Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon]; Tragopogon pratensis L. (Introduced) Scentless False Mayweed; Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) M. Lainz (T. inodorum) (Introduced) Coltsfoot; Tussilago farfara L. (Introduced) Wingstem; Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britt. ex Kearney Gravelweed [Yellow Crownbeard]; Verbesina helianthoides Michx. White Crownbeard [Frostweed; Tickweed]; Verbesina virginica L. var. Virginica Arkansas Ironweed; Vernonia arkansana DC. [Vernonia crinita Raf.] Baldwin's [Western] Ironweed; Vernonia baldwinii Torr. Tall Ironweed; Vernonia gigantea (Walter) Trel. Woolly Ironweed; Vernonia lindheimeri Gray & Engelm. Missouri Ironweed; Vernonia missurica Raf. Clotbur [Rough Cocklebur]; Xanthium strumarium L. [Xanthium chinense] Oriental False [Asiatic] Hawksbeard; Youngia japonica (L.) DC. (Introduced) Common Tansy USDA Tanacetum vulgare L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Mackinac Island, Mackinac County, Michigan Notes: discoid; disc flowers yellow, many heads in flat-topped clusters; leaves pinnate with leaflets pinnatifid and toothed, mostly sessile; plant aromatic, common garden flower and escapee; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2008] Common Dandelion USDA Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers ssp. Officinale (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flowers yellow, very numerous; leaves lanceolate, divided but usually not near the midline, terminal segment often the largest; achenes tan or brown (not red); common lawn weed, early spring to winter [V Max Brown, 2004] Stemless Four-Nerve USDA Daisy Tetraneuris acaulis (Pursh) Greene Asteraceae (Aster Family) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: ray flowers (3) notched, bright yellow, disc flowers yellow, solitary on hairy scape, phyllaries wide in 2+ series and densely short hairy; leaves mostly basal, linear lanceolate, short hairy; low elevations to alpine environments; plant highly variable (many varieties); summer (alpine plant below) [V Max Brown, 2012] Another example of Stemless Four- Nerve Daisy Tetraneuris acaulis (Pursh) Greene, lower dryer environment in the Black Hills, SD (2014) – probably a different variety Graylocks Four-Nerve USDA [Alpine] Daisy Tetraneuris grandiflora (Torr. & A. Gray ex A. Gray) K.F. Parker Asteraceae (Aster Family) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: large and showy flower, rays yellow and 4- nerved (3-toothed) and notched, disc flowers yellow, solitary on densely hairy stem; leaves basal and cauline, pinnate with linear segments; stem and phyllaries covered with cob-webby white hairs; alpine environment; summer [V Max Brown, 2012] Lakeside Daisy [Eastern USDA Four-Nerved Daisy] Tetraneuris herbacea Greene (Hymenoxys acaulis) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Lakeside Daisy Nature Preserve, Ottawa County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers notched, yellow, disc flowers yellow, solitary on densely hairy scape, phyllaries in 2+ series and densely hairy; leaves all basal, linear lanceolate, somewhat hairy; spring to early summer (RARE) [V Max Brown, 2009] Villous Four-Nerve USDA Daisy Tetraneuris scaposa (DC.) Greene var. villosa (Shinners) Shinners (Hymenoxys scaposa ) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma Notes: ray flowers 4-nerved and notched, yellow, disc flowers yellow, solitary on densely hairy scape, phyllaries in 2+ series and densely hairy; leaves cauline and basal, mostly linear to narrow lanceolate, densely hairy; spring to early summer (variety ID tentative?) [V Max Brown, 2011] Yellow Salsify USDA [Sand Goats-Beard] Tragopogon dubius Scop. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flowers (15-25), yellow, outer bracts longer than flower rays, peduncle inflated below flower head; leaves linear, gradually taper from base to tip; summer [V Max Brown, 2004] [Yellow] Common Goat’s-Beard USDA [Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon] Tragopogon pratensis L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ligulate; flowers yellow, bracts shorter to nearly equal to flower rays, peduncles not enlarged or hollow; leaves linear, abruptly narrow or taper at base; summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Scentless False Mayweed USDA Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) M. Lainz (T. inodorum) (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Near Fraser, Grand County, Colorado Notes: radiate; disc flowers yellow, ray flowers white; leaves alternate, 1-3 pinnatifid, glabrous, somewhat linear or filiform (thread-like); stem finely ridged; often found in disturbed areas, montane to subalpine environments; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2012] Coltsfoot USDA Tussilago farfara L. (Introduced) Asteraceae (Aster Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers yellow, very numerous, disc flowers yellow, solitary heads; leaves basal and post-flowering, large, base cordate to rounded, lobed and toothed, densely hairy beneath, stem leaves much reduced (scaly); stem hairy; spring [V Max Brown, 2007] Wingstem USDA Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britt. ex Kearney Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: ray flowers (2-10) yellow and reflexed, disc flowers yellow, spreading at various angles; leaves alternate, elliptical to lanceolate, usually serrate, decurrent on stem forming long wings; achenes in globose heads, usually winged with 2 awns; common in floodplains; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] Gravelweed [Yellow USDA Crownbeard] Verbesina helianthoides Michx. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers (8-15) yellow, not reflexed, disc flowers yellow, 1-10 heads, bracts hairy; leaves alternate, mostly sessile, lanceolate to elliptical, serrate, strongly decurrent on stem, stiff hairs above, densely hairy below, acute tip; stem winged; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2010] White Crownbeard [Frostweed; USDA Tickweed] Verbesina virginica L. var. Virginica Asteraceae (Aster Family) Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area, Christian County, Missouri Notes: ray flowers (1-5) white, disc flowers (8-12) white, bracts hairy; leaves mostly alternate with a short winged petiole, acute tip, lanceolate, abundant short stiff hairs above, densely soft hairy below; stem winged and densely short hairy; tall plant (1-2.5+m); summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2010] Arkansas Ironweed USDA Vernonia arkansana DC. [Vernonia crinita Raf.] Asteraceae (Aster Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: discoid; flowers (50-100+) dark purple, bracts linear, long and terminally thread-like and curling; leaves linear to lanceolate, toothed; stem mostly glabrous; hybrids common; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Baldwin's [Western] Ironweed USDA Vernonia baldwinii Torr. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Cave City area, Sharp County, Arkansas Notes: discoid; flowers (15-35+) mostly purple to somewhat brownish, bracts lanceolate to ovate with sharp points and usually recurved, hairy and glandular; leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, sharp tips, toothed, finely hairy beneath; stem downy hairy; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2007] Tall [Giant] Ironweed USDA Vernonia gigantea (Walter) Trel. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: discoid; flowers (15-30) dark purple, bracts rounded to angled, obtuse to usually pointed; leaves lanceolate with fine teeth, short hairs on lower surface but without dark resin dots; stem finely hairy, tall plant to 3+ m; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2005] Woolly Ironweed USDA Vernonia lindheimeri Gray & Engelm. Asteraceae (Aster Family) Friedrich Wilderness Park, Bexar County, Texas Notes: discoid; flowers (15-60) mostly reddish-purple, bracts densely wooly; leaves linear, glabrous or hairy above, wooly hairy below;