Daisy family
Daisy Family
The Daisy family (pronunciation: /ˈdeɪzi fæmɪli/), also known as the Asteraceae or Compositae family, is a large family of flowering plants with more than 23,000 species. The name "Asteraceae" is derived from the type genus Aster, while "Compositae", an older but still valid name, means "composite" and refers to the characteristic inflorescence, a special type of pseudanthium found in only a few other angiosperm families.
Etymology
The term "Daisy" is from Old English dægesege, meaning "day's eye". The name "Asteraceae" comes from Aster, which is a genus in the family, and "-aceae", a standard suffix for plant family names in modern taxonomy. The name "Compositae" is derived from the Latin compositus, meaning "composed" or "compound", which refers to the composite flowers characteristic of the family.
Characteristics
Members of the Daisy family typically have flowers that are arranged in a head (capitulum) that is surrounded by a ring of protective bracts (phyllaries). The individual flowers, or florets, are usually small and often symmetrically arranged around a central disk. The family includes many familiar plants such as daisies, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, and lettuce.
Related Terms
- Aster: A genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.
- Capitulum: The flower head of a plant in the daisy family.
- Floret: A small flower that is part of a larger arrangement in the inflorescence.
- Phyllaries: The bracts that surround the flower head in plants of the daisy family.
- Pseudanthium: A cluster of flowers that appears to be a single flower.
See Also
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