Asteraceae

Asters are a widely distributed plant family. Their botanical name is Asteraceae or Compositae. They belong to the angiosperms and make up about 10 percent of them. Their name comes from the fact that their flower heads consist of numerous individual flowers. What at first glance looks like a single flower is actually many – a basket full of flowers, so to speak.

 

Asters are divided into about 1,600 to 1,700 genera, which include around 24,000 species. Representatives of this plant family grow all over the world except Antarctica. In Europe, no plant family has such a vast diversity of species as this one. Many well-known forest and meadow plants native here belong to the asters. Only the grasses and orchids are larger plant families. 

You have already eaten, drunk, and possibly applied representatives of the aster family to your skin. While asters thrive well in our temperate climate, they are less common in tropical regions. Although there are many asters here, only three of the 12 subfamilies grow in Central Europe.

If you go looking for asters, you have to keep your eyes open for a variety of shapes, colors, and growth types. Some asters are herbs, others subshrubs, and some even grow into shrubs. There are also tree-like asters! Even on a day at the lake, you can observe asters as aquatic plants, so their occurrence is extremely diverse.

 

Typical representatives of the aster family are:

• Arnica
• Common goldenrod
• True chamomile
• Daisy
• Coltsfoot
• Dandelion
• Milk thistle
• Sunflower
• Wormwood

We eat some very special representatives of the aster family, such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) or the artichoke (Cynara scolymus). While most people think of beautiful flowers and blossoms when it comes to asters, these useful representatives also belong to them.

Many ornamental plants actually come from the family of asters, such as blanket flowers or alpine edelweiss.

 

Among the most important Asteraceae plant ingredients are essential oils. These are extracted not only from oil-producing plants like the sunflower but also from many other Asteraceae species. Essential oils from chamomile, milk thistle, arnica, goldenrod, and many more are highly sought after.

It is also interesting that Asteraceae store not starch but inulin underground. This can provide healthy variety in the diet, which is why artichokes can help with digestive problems.

Many Asteraceae species are used as medicinal plants; for example, chamomile can have anti-inflammatory effects. Calendula officinalis (marigold) can also be used medicinally, as can the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

Among the Asteraceae are some species that are toxic, so we cannot enjoy all Asteraceae ingredients.

 

Depending on the plant species, Asteraceae are used for different purposes. Many of them can be prepared as vegetables or salads, such as the artichoke. The family also includes many species that we have used for thousands of years as spices and medicinal plants, like chamomile. Other plants are used to produce vegetable oils, such as the sunflower.

 

The individual members of the Asteraceae family are quite similar in their vegetative characteristics. They are herbaceous plants, occasionally becoming woody. 

Asteraceae have alternate leaves, with a few species having whorled or opposite leaves. In other plant species, the leaves have developed into thorns. Most Asteraceae are annual or biennial plants, with perennial species being rare.

The basket-shaped flower heads are a key characteristic of the Asteraceae and give the family its name. The flower baskets are surrounded by bracts. The inflorescence often gives the impression of a single flower. The flowers of the Asteraceae can be divided into two forms: tubular and ligulate flowers.

Usually, the flower has five sepals and five petals alongside the individual flowers, topped by a crown. The crown usually contains the pollen sacs.

 

Some people have allergic reactions to Asteraceae or certain representatives of this family. 

Are you stuck on your crossword puzzle? Maybe we have the answer. If a medicinal plant from the Asteraceae family with 6 letters is sought, the following are possible:

Arnica

Burdock

Wormwood

The arnica is famous and popular because it has served as a wound herb for many centuries. In the Middle Ages and during Hildegard of Bingen's time, arnica compresses were applied to wounds to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. A decoction from the roots of burdock has been used for centuries for skin diseases - for example, for ulcers, boils, and eczema. Mugwort was long consumed mainly as tea, hoping to cleanse the body from the inside.

If a medicinal plant from the Asteraceae family with 7 letters is asked for, the answer is: mugwort or chamomile. Chamomile was already popular with Hildegard of Bingen. She saw in it anti-inflammatory properties, which made taking it as tea just as recommended as using it as a wound herb. Mugwort was used by knights and boys, for example, to relax sore feet. For this purpose, it is added to baths.

If your crossword puzzle asks for medicinal plants from the Asteraceae family with only 5 letters, the answer is optionally:

• Elecampane
• Aster
• Inula

The medicinal plant elecampane was already used by ancient Romans. After drying, the elecampane root contains a lot of inulin, which is suspected to have probiotic effects. Elecampane was therefore used for digestive problems. The aster has also been used since ancient times. The medical benefits are still unclear, which is why studies continue to investigate them. Inula helenium L. is the botanical name for elecampane.

Asteraceae are found worldwide. For us in Central Europe, there are different typical representatives of the Asteraceae than, for example, in Asia or North America. The most famous representatives of the Asteraceae are probably:

• Arnica
• True chamomile
• Dandelion
• Daisy
• Sunflower
• Milk thistle
• Common goldenrod

Most of these famous representatives are known because they are important in herbal medicine. For example, chamomile is a well-known wound herb, and the sunflower is a source of healthy fats.
Not only are there medicinal plants among the Asteraceae, many are simultaneously spices and medicinal herbs. Asteraceae that can also function as spices include tarragon, common mugwort, and wormwood.

The most commonly used is probably chamomile - optionally as a tea infusion or additive in creams and cosmetic products. Chamomile is attributed with anti-inflammatory properties, although these have not yet been clinically proven.
Other important representatives (especially from the past) are:

• Calendula
• Arnica
• Mugwort
• Wormwood
• Tarragon

As discussed above, many of them serve as wound herbs and helpers for digestive complaints.