ASTER (SUNFLOWER OR DAISY) FAMILY IN MOUNTAINS

Small mountain suns.............. :-)

Many plant species (more than 22,000), broadly distributed, belong to the family Asteraceae, called also Compositae. This family includes ca 1620 genera. The Asteraceae and Orchidaceae are two largest families of plants in the world. Most of the Asteraceae plants are perennial (herbaceous), some of them are trees, vines and shrubs. Members of the family are most common in the semi-arid and arid regions. An inflorescence of Asteraceae is developed in the form of disc, called basket, where hundreds of small flowers are closely packed (composite flowers). After pollination each flower is changed in a small fruit, as we know it from sunflower. Flowers seen at the edge of the disc are often larger (ray flowers) and seems to be like petals of a simple flower of other plants, as in tulip or lily. Inside of the disc, smaller and less spectacular flowers called “tube flowers” are developed. The baskets of various species can be composed of ray, tube or both types of flowers. Outside, each basket is surrounded by modified green leaves.These leaves are a good characteristic of the family.
On mountain meadows, below a forest zone, called subalpine zone, we can find many species of the Aster, Chrysanthemum, Centaurea, Carduus, Cirsium, Hieracium or Taraxacum genera. Going up, above the forest zone, we are in true alpine zone. We can observe there low growing grasslands and other species of the family as Leontopodium alpinum, Achillea nana, A. atrata, Homogyne alpina, Arnica montana or Carlina acaulis. These plants are firmly attached to the rocky surface and are well adapted to mountain stress environment as heavy insolation, strong winds and rains, and low temperatures.
Every SP member is invited to enrich this album 

It will be continued…………

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