Asteraceae . . . . . . Daisy family Part 1 (to Part 2, to Part 3)

Asteraceae all have compound flowers where each apparent flower comprises a number of individual florets. In some such as Daisies and Ragworts these include both ray florets and central tubular florets, other such as dandelions have only flat ray florets (ligules), while others such as thistles only have the tubular florets.

Choose from:

Herbaceous

Woody

Choose by flower colour:-

Non-descript/Green/White

Asteraceae-blue, mauve to purple flowers

Centaurea

Michaelmas Daisy

Sea Aster

Erigeron

Cicerbita

Cichorium

Petasites

Cirsium

Echinops

Tragopogon

Cynara

Pericallis

Asteraceae - pink or red flowers:

Arctium

Carduus nutans

Carduus tenuiflorus

Caduus crispus

Burdock

Musk Thistle

Slender Thistle

Welted Thistle

Cirsium acaule

Cirsium arvense

Cirsium palustre

Cirsium vulgare

Dwarf Thistle

Creeping Thistle

Marsh Thistle

Spear Thistle

Cirsium heterophyllum

Silybum marianum

Centaurea scabiosa

Centaurea nigra

Melancholy Thistle

Milk Thistle

Greater Knapweed

Knapweed

Serratula tinctoria

Centaurea aspera

Onopordium acanthium

Symphyotrichum

Saw-wort

Rough Star-thistle

Cotton Thistle

Aster

Tripolium

Petasites

Eupatorium cannabinum

Homogyne alpina

Sea Aster

Winter Heliotrope

Hemp Agrimony

Homogyne

Saussurea alpina

Antennaria dioica

Pericallis

Senecio glastifolius

Alpine Saw-wort

Mountain Everlasting

Cineraria

Woad-leaved Ragwort

See also :

Asteraceae - Yellow

Select the nearest yellow flower from the following 4 options:

Marigold-like

Groundsel-like

Hawk-whatevers

Daisies

Ray & disc florets

Tubular florets only

Flat florets only

Yellow disc and white rays

Ray & disc florets:

Tubular florets - groundsel-like and other flowers

Yellow "hawk-whatevers" - flat florets only: Choose from following SIX groups:

Single flower/unbranched stem

Stems with tiny bracts (cat's ears)

Stems v. bristly

Milky sap

Flower head bracts in 2 rows

Flower head bracts in several rows

- or -

Choose by lf shape

Single flower on unbranched stem:

Tussilago

Taraxacum

Pilosella officinarum

Pilosella peleteriana

Scorzoneroides

Leontodon

Hypochaeris glabra

Hypochaeris maculata

Tragopogon

Stems leafless but with tiny bracts (Cat's-ears & Hawkbits):

Hypochaeris radicata

Hypochaeris glabra

Hypochaeris maculata

Scorzoneroides

Stems very bristly (Oxtongues, etc.):

Picris

Helminthotheca

Lactuca virosa

Pilosella aurantiaca

Milky sap (Sowthistles, Lettuces, Dandelions, Goatsbeard):

Sonchus oleraceus

Sonchus arvensis

Sonchus asper

Sonchus palustris

Taraxacum

Tragopogon

Lactuca

Mycelis

Flower head bracts (phyllaries) in two rows (e.g. Crepis (Hawk's-beard)):

Crepis capillaris

Crepis vesicaria

Crepis paludosa

Crepis biennis

Picris

Helminthotheca

Flower head bracts (phyllaries) in several rows (e.g. Hieracium (Hawkweeds) and hawkbits):

Hieracium

Hieracium maculatum

Hieracium

Scorzoneroides

Leontodon

Lactuca

Pilosella aurantiaca

Yellow 'hawk-whatevers' by leaf shape:

Hypochaeris glabra

Hypochaeris radicata

Taraxacum

Leontodon saxatilis

Leontodon hispidus

Scorzoneroides

Crepis capillaris

Crepis biennis

Pilosella

Hypochaeris maculata

Mycelis muralis

Lapsana

Crepis paludosa

Hieracium

Helminthotheca

Picris

Lactuca virosa

Sonchus oleraceus

Sonchus asper

Sonchus arvensis

Guizotia

Asteraceae - white: Daisy-like flowers:

Achillea millefolium

Achillea ptarmica

Bellis perennis

Erigeron karvinskianus

Yarrow; Milfoil

Sneezewort

Daisy

Mexican Daisy

Matricaria chamomilla

Chamaemelum nobile

Tripleurospermum inodorum

Tripleurospermum maritimum

Scented Mayweed

Chamomile

Scentless Mayweed

Sea Mayweed

(NB Chamomile has a strong 'Chamomile' scent)

Anthemis arvensis

Leucanthemum vulgare

Leucanthemum x superbum

Tanacetum parthenium

Corn Chamomile

Ox-eye Daisy

Shasta Daisy

Feverfew

Galinsoga

Olearia avicennifolia (woody shrub)

Tanacetum macrophyllum

Cosmos bipinnatus

Galinsoga

Olearia

Rayed Tansy

Cosmos

Other white compound flowers:

Antennaria dioica

Achillea ptarmica

Anaphalis margaritacea

Petasites

Mountain Everlasting

Double Sneezewort

Pearly Everlasting

White Butterbur

Centaurea aspera

Erigeron

Artemisia vulgaris

Artemisia maritima

white form of Rough Star-thistle

Fleabane

Mugwort

Sea Wormwood

Cudweeds

Cirsium oleraceum

Cudweeds

Cabbage thistle

Greenish or non-descript flowers:

Cotula squalida

Erigeron

Cudweeds

Artemisia

NZ Buttonweed

Fleabanes

Cudweeds

Artemisia

Ambrosia

Carlina

Siberian Thistle

Wormwoods

Ragweed

Carline

Cirsium oleraceum

Olearia lineata

Matricaria discoidea

Cotula sessiis

Artemisia norvegica

Olearia

Pineappleweed

Bindii

Norwegian Cudweed

Cudweeds - Filago, Gnaphalium, Laphangium, Logfia, Omalotheca, Pseudognaphalium:

Small Cudweed

Cape Cudweed

Jersey Cudweed

Common Cudweed

Logfia minima

Pseudognaphalium undulatum

Laphangium luteoalbum

Filago germanica

Marsh Cudweed

Heath Cudweed

Dwarf Cudweed

Mountain Everlasting

Gnaphalium uliginosum

Omalotheca sylvatica

Omalotheca supinum

Antennaria dioica

NB G. supinum at tops of mountains; G. uliginosum in wet areas at lower altitudes

Fleabanes and mugworts

Erigeron canadensis

Erigeron floribunda

Erigeron bonariensis

Erigeron sumatrensis

Artemisia vulgaris

Canadian Fleabane

Bilbao Fleabane

Argentine Fleabane

Guernsey Fleabane

Mugwort

Mayweeds and similar:

Cotula squalida

Matricaria discoidea

NZ Buttonweed

Pineappleweed

See also:

Woody Asteraceae

Olearia

Euryops

Brachyglottis

Achillea . . . . . Yarrow or Millefoil

Achillea millefolium . . . . Yarrow

Common

Achillea ptarmica . . . . Sneezewort

Damp grassy places and fields

Double versions occur, esp. as garden escapes

Ambrosia . . . . . Ragweed

Ambrosia artemisiifolia . . . . Common Ragweed

Birdseed alien, esp. in C Br (Photos 1 & 2 GP Buckley)

Anaphalis . . . . . Pearly Everlasting

Anaphalis margaritacea . . . . Pearly Everlasting

Estabished as garden escape (from W USA) at scattered sites in Br, esp. in S Wa and N Sc

Antennaria . . . . . Mountain Everlasting

Antennaria dioica . . . . Mountain Everlasting

Heaths and mountain slopes esp. in N

Anthemis . . . . . Chamomile

Leaflets +/- flattened

Anthemis arvensis . . . . Corn Chamomile

Locally frequent, mostly in S & C Br; fls 20-40 mm

See also - A. cotula (Stinking Chamomile) - which is similar but with smaller fl (c.12-25mm), hairless with unpleasant smell) and Cota austriaca (Austrian Chamomile) which has more regularly lobed leaflets (as for Cota tinctoria) and fruit +/- prickly.
Also:

Tripleurospermum inodorum

Matricaria chamomilla

Arctium . . . . . Burdock

Arctium minus . . . . Lesser Burdock

Widely distributed in woods, waysides and shady places (3 subspp. recognised but all intermediates occur).

Arctium lappa . . . . Greater Burdock

Has solid petioles, flower heads >35 mm across and flower stalks 3-10 cm.; widespread in C & S En (Photos 2, 3, 4 - C. Hutchinson)

Artemisia . . . . . Mugwort

Choose between:

Mugwort

Sea Wormwood

Wormwood

Field Wormwood

Tarragon

Annual Mugwort

Chinese Mugwort

Norwegian Mugwort

Artemisia absinthum . . . . Wormwood

Silky-hairy both sides of leaf; Common in C En & N Wa, more scattered elsewhere but rare in Ire

Artemisia annua . . . . Sweet Wormwood, Annual Mugwort

Uncommon sweetly-smelling casual on waste ground, sometimes grown as a herb

Artemisia campestris . . . . Field Wormwood

A rare plant of E Anglia; a related plant is v. local on sand dunes in W Br (photos R. Horton)

Artemisia dracunculus . . . . Tarragon

Scattered as garden escape; smells of tarragon; linear leaves distinguish from other Artemisia spp.

Artemisia maritima . . . . Sea Wormwood

Localised around coasts but not W or N Sc and N Ire (was Seraphidium)

Artemisia norvegica . . . . Norwegian Mugwort

Rare on a couple of mts in NW Sc

Artemisia verlotiorum . . . . . Chinese Mugwort

Similar to Mugwort (below) but with lvs (linear or with long linear tips) all the way up flower spike; uncommon garden escape

Artemisia vulgaris . . . . . Mugwort

Silky hairy lower side of lvs; common on rough ground and waste places in lowland BI

Aster . . . . . Michaelmas Daisies

See Galatella (Goldilocks aster); Tripolium (Sea aster) and Symphyotrichum (Michaelmas daisy)

Galatella (was Aster). . . . . Goldilocks Aster

Galatella linosyris (was Aster linosyris). . . . Goldilocks Aster

Very local on limestone sea cliffs in W Br

Symphyotrichum (was Aster). . . . . Michaelmas Daisies

Several Michaelmas daisy spp. have established around the BI as garden escapes. These (and others) are hard to distinguish and include:

Symphyotrichum x salignum . . . . Michaelmas Daisy

Narrow phyllaries tight onto flower head

S. novi-belgii . . . . Confused Michaelmas-daisy

Phyllaries spreading around flower head

Also:

S. lanceloatus . . . . Narrow-leaved Michaelmas-daisy

Lvs usually <1cm wide

Other similar spp. include :

Fleabanes

Tripolium (was Aster). . . . . Sea Aster

Tripolium pannonicum (was Aster tripolium) . . . . Sea Aster

Salt-marshes around BI

Sometimes occurs with only yellow tubular florets:

Bellis . . . . . Daisy

Bellis perennis . . . . . Daisy

V common and widespread, esp. on lawns

Bidens . . . . . Bur-marigold

Bidens cernua . . . . . Nodding Bur-marigold

Frequent, but rather scattered, in damp places across BI, less so in Sc

Bidens tripartita . . . . . Trifid Bur-marigold

Frequent, but rather scattered, in damp places across BI, less so in Sc; trifoliate leaves

A number of other species have become widely introduced including B. frondosa, "Beggarticks" with forward-directed barbs (rather than backward) on fruits and the following:

Bidens pilosa . . . . . Pitchforks or Black-jack

An alien scattered in En

Brachyglottis . . . . . Brachyglottis

Brachyglottis x jubar . . . . . Brachyglottis Senecio 'Sunshine' (was Senecio greyi)

Common in municipal plantings and persists as a throw-out

Calendula . . . . . Marigold

Calendula officinalis . . . . . Pot Marigold

Sometimes naturalised, esp. in S

Calendula arvensis . . . . . Field Marigold

Similar to C. officinalis but smaller (lvs 3-8 cm and finely toothed (see arrow) vs. 7-15 cm and hardly toothed; flower heads 10 -20mm vs. 20-70 mm); rather rare in Guernsey and the S. Both have rather hairy leaves compared with the rather smooth Glebionis segetum (photos P Kirby)

Similar spp. :

Helianthus annuus

Glebionis segetum

Doronicum pardalianches

Sunflower

Corn Marigold

Leopard's-bane

Carduus . . . . . Thistles

See also Cirsium, Onopordum for other thistles

Carduus crispus . . . . Welted Thistle

(= Carduus acanthoides) Reasonably common in En & C Sc & CE Ire, less common on W coasts & Sc highlands; there has been some confusion with C. acanthoides which has flower heads <2cm across>

Carduus nutans . . . . Musk Thistle

Locally frequent on rough ground on calcareous soils, esp. in the S

Carduus tenuiflorus . . . . Slender Thistle

Leaves often quite large with white veins and can be mistaken for Silybum (Milk thistle) leaves; locally common esp. near coast in the CI & S Br

Carlina . . . . . Carline Thistle

Carlina vulgaris . . . . Carline Thistle

Open grassland esp. on calcareous soils exc. N Isles

Centaurea . . . . .Knapweeds

Centaurea aspera . . . . Rough Star-thistle

Naturalised in CI

Centaurea cyanus . . . . Cornflower

Formerly common arable weed but now widely planted in wildflower mixes

Centaurea montana . . . . Perennial Cornflower

Common in gardens and widely naturalised

Centaurea nigra . . . . Hardheads or Knapweed

Common

Similar spp. include C. debauxii (Chalk Knapweed; fl head <14 mm across; mostly on chalk in S Br) and C. jacea (Brown Knapweed; on well-drained soils in S En). The latter is distinguished from the others by the irregular brown teeth on the flower head bracts (Left pic.) vs deep regular teeth for C. nigra (mid pic.); radiate forms occur (R)

C. jacea

C. nigra

C. nigra (radiate)