Asteraceae – Aster Family

Plants in the large Aster Family (Asteraceae) are annual, biennial, or perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, vines, and trees with a compound inflorescence known as a flower head. The flower heads are commonly called daisies, and they are composed of multiple flowers, generally central disk flowers and petal-like ray flowers, however, it is not uncommon for plants in this family to lack ray flowers. The dry fruit is in the form of a cypsela (an achene from a flower with an inferior ovary), and some species have a fluffy pappus attached to the seeds to aid their dispersal by the wind.

Listed below are some of the southeastern Arizona plants in this family.