Why Asteraceae is the most advanced family?
The family Asteraceae (Compositae) is regarded as the most advanced and highly evolved and is considered to occupy the highest position in the plant kingdom. 1. It includes maximum number of genera (950) and species (20000). Plants mostly herbaceous annuals, biennials or perennials.
What makes Asteraceae unique?
The most distinctive feature of Asteraceae is their inflorescence structure, the highly compressed inflorescence branch system called the capitulum or flower head, in which all the flowers are attached to a receptacle that is surrounded by involucral bracts.
Which is the identifying character of Asteraceae?
The distinguishing characteristic of Asteraceae is their inflorescence, a type of specialised, composite flower head or pseudanthium, technically called a calathium or capitulum, that may look superficially like a single flower.
What is the classification of Sunflower?
Helianthus
Sunflowers/Scientific names
What are the characteristics of Asteraceae family?
Key identifying characteristics for Asteraceae include an inflorescence that is a composite head with disc florets, (ray florets may or may not be present), and an achene-like cypsela (fruit) with a fringe of hairs or papus. The leaf arrangement may be alternate or opposite, though rarely whorled.
Why is the family Asteraceae regarded as highly evolved among Dicotyledons?
The family asteraceae is regarded as highest evolved among the Dicotyledons because it contains about 32000 species, 13 sub families and 1900 genera and take the first place in the kingdom plantae. Examples of plants included in the family asteraceae are sunflower, Aster, common daisy and marry gold etc.
What is Asteraceae inflorescence?
Inflorescences in the Asteraceae plant family, flower heads, or capitula, mimic single flowers but are highly compressed structures composed of multiple flowers. This transference of a flower-like appearance into an inflorescence level is considered as the key innovation for the rapid tribal radiation of Asteraceae.
How many species of Asteraceae are there?
23,600 species
Asteraceae, also called Compositae, the aster, daisy, or composite family of the flowering-plant order Asterales. With more than 1,620 genera and 23,600 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed throughout the world, Asteraceae is one of the largest plant families.
Are sunflowers Autotrophs or Heterotrophs?
Yes, sunflower (Helianthus), like every other plant, is an autotroph.
What type of inflorescence is in family Asteraceae?
Capitulum: Inflorescence Of The Sunflower Family A capitulum or head, the characteristic inflorescence of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Depending on the tribe, the inflorescence may consist of ray flowers, disk flowers, or both ray and disk flowers.
How many species are there in the Asteraceae family?
Asteraceae or Compositae is an exceedingly large and widespread family of flowering plants with more than 23,600 currently accepted species, spread across 1,620 genera and 13 subfamilies. Many of them are spices used in traditional medicine to cure microbial infections.
What do the flowers of the Asteraceae look like?
Nearly all Asteraceae bear their flowers in dense flower heads called capitula. They are surrounded by involucral bracts, and when viewed from a distance, each capitulum may appear to be a single flower. Enlarged outer (peripheral) flowers in the capitulum may resemble petals, and the involucral bracts may look like a calyx.
Are there any invasive species in the Asteraceae?
Species outside of their native ranges can be considered weedy or invasive . Members of the Asteraceae are mostly herbaceous plants, but some shrubs, vines, and trees (such as Lachanodes arborea) do exist. Asteraceae species are generally easy to distinguish from other plants because of their unique inflorescence and other shared characteristics.
Are there homogamous and heterogamous heads in Asteraceae?
Both homogamous and heterogamous heads are present in the most basal Asteraceae subfamilies, the Barnadesioideae and Mutisieae ( Gillies, Cubas, Coen, & Abbott, 2002 ).