Las asteráceas (Asteraceae), también llamadas compuestas (Compositae Giseke, nom. cons.), reúnen más de 23.500 especies repartidas en unos 1600 géneros, por lo que son la familia de Angiospermas con mayor riqueza y diversidad biológica.La familia se caracteriza por presentar las flores dispuestas en una inflorescencia compuesta denominada capítulo la cual se halla rodeada de una o más filas de brácteas (involucro).El nombre "Asteraceae" deriva del género tipo de la familia Aster, término que -a su vez- proviene del griego ἀστήρ que significa "estrella" y hace alusión a la forma de la inflorescencia. Por otro lado, el nombre "compuestas", más antiguo pero válido, hace referencia al tipo particular de inflorescencia compuesta que caracteriza a la familia y que solo se halla en muy pocas familias de Angiospermas.Las compuestas presentan una considerable importancia ecológica y económica. Los miembros de esta familia se distribuyen desde las regiones polares hasta los trópicos, conquistando todos los hábitats disponibles, desde los desiertos secos hasta los pantanos y desde las selvas hasta los picos montañosos. En muchas regiones del mundo las compuestas llegan a integrar hasta el 10% de la flora vernácula. La familia contiene algunos géneros con una gran cantidad de especies, como es el caso de Eupatorium s.l. (1.200 especies), Senecio (con 1.000 especies) y Helichrysum (500-600 especies).

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Asteraceae or Compositae (commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family) is an exceedingly large and widespread family of flowering plants (Angiospermae). The family has more than 23,600 currently accepted species, spread across 1,620 genera (list) and 13 subfamilies. In terms of numbers of species, the Asteraceae are rivaled only by the Orchidaceae. (Which of the two families is actually larger is unclear, owing to uncertainty about exactly how many species exist in each family.) Many members have composite flowers in the form of flower 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 name "Asteraceae" comes from the type genus Aster, from the Greek ἀστήρ, meaning star, and refers to the star-like form of the inflorescence. "Compositae" is an older but still valid name which refers to the fact that the family is one of the few angiosperm ones to have composite flowers. Most members of Asteraceae are herbaceous, but a significant number are also shrubs, vines, or trees. The family has a worldwide distribution, from the polar regions to the tropics, colonizing a wide variety of habitats. It is most common in the arid and semiarid regions of subtropical and lower temperate latitudes. The Asteraceae may represent as much as 10% of autochthonous flora in many regions of the world. The Asteraceae are an economically important family, providing products such as cooking oils, lettuce, sunflower seeds, artichokes, sweetening agents, coffee substitutes and herbal teas. Several genera are of horticultural importance, including pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, Echinacea (cone flowers), various daisies, fleabane, chrysanthemums, dahlias, zinnias, and heleniums. Asteraceae are important in herbal medicine, including Grindelia, yarrow, and many others. A number of species are considered invasive, including, most notably in North America, dandelion, which was originally introduced by European settlers who used the young leaves as a salad green.

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