The Asteraceae family, also called the Compositae or simply the daisy family, is one of the biggest groups of flowering plants in the world.
With about 24,000 to 35,000 species in nearly 1,600 groups, the family makes up about one-tenth of all flowering plants.
You’ll recognise familiar members. Sunflowers were domesticated by ancient Americans. Dandelions spread across every temperate meadow. Cultivated lettuce was known to the Egyptians. Artichokes were prized by the Romans.
The family includes trees, shrubs, and herbs. These are found from polar regions to tropical forests. They thrive in deserts, grasslands, and even the cracks of urban pavements.
What makes these plants distinctive is their flower head, the capitulum. It looks like a single bloom, but it’s actually a crowded community of tiny florets. This evolutionary innovation made them very successful at attracting pollinators and dispersing seeds.
The family originated some 80 to 83 million years ago. It spread worldwide through rapid diversification, linked to unique floral traits and remarkable adaptability.
Today, Asteraceae plants are important in nature, providing food for many insects and animals and for people, with crops, useful herbs, and pretty flowers.
Their adaptability, whilst admirable, has at times proved problematic. Some species become invasive when introduced beyond their native ranges, outcompeting native flora and disrupting local ecosystems.
Nevertheless, the family’s importance to both natural ecosystems and human endeavour remains undeniable. This is a result of millions of years of evolutionary refinement.