COMPOSITAE FAMILY Asteraceae Family Aster, Daisy or Sunflower Family General Characteristics They are an exceedingly large and widespread family of towering plants (Angiospermae). The family has more than 23,600 curently acoepted species, spread across 1,620 genera (ist) and 13 subfamilies. ‘Many members have composite lowers in the form of fower heads (capitula or pseudanthia) surrounded by involucral bracts. When viewed from a distance, each capitulum may have the appearance of being a single flower. The mame "Asteraceae" comes from Aster, the most prominent genus in the family, that derives from the Greek word ‘aster’ meaning ‘star, and is connected with is inflorescence star form; refering to the appearance of some family members, as a "star" surrounded by “rays”. The cluster of flowers that may appear to be a single flower, Is called ahead. The entire head may move tracking the sun, like a "smart" solar panel, which maximizes reflectivity of the whole unit and can thereby attract more pollinators. ‘As forthe term *Compositae", more ancient but sil vad, it obviously makes reference to the fact thatthe family is one ofthe few angiosperm ones to have composite flowers. Economically important family, provicing products such as cooking oils, ttuce, sunflower seeds, sweetening agents, coffee substitutes and herbal teas. ‘Several genera are of horticultural importance, including pot marigold, Calendula afcinalis, Echinacea (cone flowers), various daisies, chrysanthemums, dahlias etc. Distribution ‘The family has a worldwide cosmopolitan distibution found everywhere from polar regions tothe tropics, colonizing ‘wide varity of habitats except Antarctica and the extreme Arctic. They are especially numerous in tropical and subtropical regions (notably Central America, eastern Brazil, {he Mediterranean, the Levant part of the Middle East, southem Alrica, contal Asia, and southwestern China). Itis most common in the arid and semiarid regions of subtropical and lower temperate lattudes. Vegetative Characters Habit. Roots: Stems: ost members are herbaceous, shrubs, trees and climbers also exist. Produce taproots, but sometimes they possess fibrous root systems. Generally erect but can be prostrate to ascending. Some species have underground stems in the form ‘of caudices or hizomes. These can be fleshy or woody depending on the species.Leaves: Leaves and stems very offen contain secretory canals with resin orlatex (particularly common among the Cichorioideze). Leaves can be altermate, opposite, or whorled; may be simple, but are often deeply lobed or otherwise incised, ‘often duplicate or revolute; margins can be entire or lobed or toothed. Reproductive Characters Infloroscence Evident characteristic of Asteraceae is perhaps their inflorescence: a specialised capitulum, technically caled Flowers: ‘a calathid or calathiaium, but generally refered to as fower head cr, alternatively, simply capitulum, The capitulum is a contracted raceme composed of numerous individual sessile fowers, called the frets, all sharing the same receptacle. The florets are braclecles, five petals fused at the base to form a corolla be ‘and they may be either aetinomorphic or zygomorphic. Disc florets are usually actinomorphic, with five petal ps on the rim of the corolla tube, The petal ips may be ‘ther very short, or long, in which case they form deeply lobed petals, Rey forets are always highly 2ygomorphic and are characterised by the presence of a fgule, a strap-shaped ‘sructure on the edge of the corcila Lube consisting of fused petals. The calyx of the florets may be absent, but when present is alvays modified into @ pappus of two or more teeth, scales or bristles and this is often involved in the dispersion ofthe seeds. As with the bracts, the nature ofthe pappus is an important agnostic feature ‘The “petals” or "sunrays" ina sunflower head are actually individual strap-shaped. fowers called “ray flowers", ‘and the "sun disk" is made of smaller circular shaped individual fowers called “dsc flowers* Aray flowers a 3:tpped (3-lobed), strap-shaped, individual flower in the head of some members of the Asteraceae family, Sometimes a ray lower has 2 tips (or 24obes).. ‘The corolla of the ray flower may have 2 tiny teeth opposite the 3 lobed strap. A ligulate lower is a5 tipped, strap-shaped i {ower (or disc flower) is a racially symmetric (.e., wih identical shaped petals arranged in circle around the center) individual flower inthe head, which is ringed by ray flowers when both are present. ‘When a sunflower famiy flower head has only disk fowers that are sterile, male, or have both male and female parts, itis a discoid head ‘There are usually five stamens, The filaments are fused to the corolla, while the anthers are generally connate (syngenesious anthers), thus forming a sort of tube around the style (theca) They ‘commonly have basal andlor apical appendages. The pistil consists of two connate carpels. ‘The style has two lobes. Stigmatic tissue may be located in the interior surface or form twollateral ines, ‘The ovary is inferior and has only one ovule, with basal placentation, Disciform heads have only disc flowers, but may have two kinds (male flawers and female flowers) inone head, or may have diferent heads of two kinds (all male, oral female). Pistilate heads have allfemale flowers. Staminate heads have all male flowers. vidual flower in the heads of ather members. A diskForal structures A Typical Disk Flower Patterns of the ° stigmas Aster or Sunflower Family S stamens fused around stil Plants ofthe Aster family are “composites” of ‘many small lowers ina cisk-tke flowerhead. i peal hind “09 together ‘Asters are otten easy shar Pepa) Even the *petale* ovary are individual flowers, Each seed is produced single tiny flower. nultiple | a brett are common Pollination: in many plants what appears to be a single flower is actually a cluster of much smaller flowers. The overall ‘appearance ofthe cluster, as a single flower, functions in attracting polinator. Pollen is released inside the tube and is collected around the growing style, and then, as the style elongates, '& pushed out ofthe tube (nidelspritz). Fruits and seeds ‘The fut of the Asteraceae is achene-tke, ands called cypsela (plural cypselee. ‘Although there are two fused carpels, there is only one locule, and only one seed per fut is formed. It may ‘sometimes be winged or spiny because the pappus, which is derived from calyx often remains on the fruit. ‘The mature seeds usualy have litle endosperm or none. Metabolites Asteraceae generally sore energy in the form of inulin. They produce isolchlorogenic acid, sesquiterpene lactones, pentacyclc triterpene alcohols, various alkaloids, aoatylenes (cyclic, aromatic, with vinyl end groups), tannins, They have lerpenoid essential cls which never contain tidoids.MALVACEAE MALLOW FAMILY General Characteristics - The Malvaceae, or the mallows cr cotton family, are a family of flowering plants estimated to contsin 243 genera with 4225+ species. ~ Well4nown members ofthis family include okra, cotton, and cacao. The largest genera in terms of number of species include Hibiscus (300 species), Sterculla (250 species), Dombeya (250 species), Pavonia (200 species) and Sida (200 species). The Malvaceae family comprises of nine subfamilies. Characterized by young pars with stellate hairs, muclagenous nature with show and big flowers. Distribution: Cosmoplitan Vegetative Description: Habit: Most species are herbs (Abutilon indicum, beejband) or shrubs (Hibiscus sp.) but some are trees (Gossypium sp.) Root: Tap root ‘Stem: Herbaceous, woody, contain mucous canals and offen also mucous cavities. Leaves: Generally altemate, often palmately bbed or compound and palmately veined; petiole, stipulated, ‘may be entre, but when dentate, a vein ends atthe tip of each tooth (malvoid teeth), acute apex. ple, margin Stellate hairs on the underside of a dried leaf of Malva alcea Reproductive Characters: ‘or indefinite Infloroscence: The flowers are commonly bome in del y nlorescences, which are often reduced to a single flower, but may also be cauliflorous, oppositfolious, or terminal Flowers: _Pediculale can be unisexual or bisexual, and are generally actinomorphic, often associated with conspicuous tracts, forming an epicalyx. The flowers have nectaries made of many Ughlly packed glandular hairs, usuelly fositioned on the sepals. Perianth: They generally have five valvate sepals (ca ), most frequently basally connate, with five imbricate petals (Corolla). Androecium: The stamens are five fo numerous, and connate at east at their bases, but often forming a tube around the pists. The pistis are composed of two to many connate carpels.Gynaecium: The ovary is superior, multicarpelary, synoarpous with axial placentation, with capitate or lobed stigma. Fruits: Duran fruits, most often loculcidal capsules, schizocarps or nuts. Pollination: _Self-polination is often avoided by means of protancry, Most species are entomophiious (pollinated by insects), Medicinal Importance: ‘Sida cordifolia, Matva sytvestris, bution indicum, Abel moschus, Gossypium herbaceum, Atthaea officinalis Hbiscus rosa chinensis , 7 Patterns “ y of the aR Mallow Family