A large family comprising of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees distributed throughout the world. Known as the aster, daisy, or composite family,

Asteraceae is one of the largest plant families, second only to Orchidaceae.

Paleobotanists suggest that the first members of this family may have evolved in Argentina some 50 million years ago, based on the discovery of well-preserved fossils that date to the Eocene Epoch (56 million to 33.9 million years ago).

Asteraceae is important primarily for its many garden ornamentals, such as ageratums, asters, chrysanthemums, cosmos, dahlias, marigolds (Tagetes), and zinnias.

Britannica Editors. "Asteraceae". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Jun. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Asteraceae. Accessed 15 September 2026.