The name "Asteraceae" comes from Aster, the most prominent genus in the family, that derives from the Greek ἀστήρ meaning star, and is connected with its inflorescence star form. As for the term "Compositae", more ancient but still valid, it obviously makes reference to the fact that the family is one of the few angiosperms that have composite flowers. This family has a remarkable ecological and economical importance, and is present from the polar regions to the tropics, colonizing all available habitats. The Asteraceae may represent as much as 10% of autochthon flora in many regions of the world. Most members of Asteraceae are herbaceous, but a significant number are also shrubs, vines and trees. The family has a worldwide distribution, and is most common in the arid and semi-arid regions of subtropical and lower temperate latitudes.
Asteraceae are mostly herbaceous plants, but some shrubs, trees and climbers do exist. Asteraceae are generally easy to distinguish from other plants, mainly because of their characteristic inflorescence and other shared characteristics. However, determining genera and species is notoriously difficult (see "damned yellow composite" for example).
