The plant Family Asteraceae: 3. The fruit

Abstract

The fruit of the family Asteraceae are known as cypselas. Their shape, size and colour vary and they may differ in ornamentation, hairs and glands. Different outgrowths, like wings and spines, are present. One genus, Chrysanthemoides, is known to have fleshy fruits. The pappus, representing the calyx of other flowering plants, can be present or absent. When present, the pappus can consist of hairs or scales or both, arranged in one or many rows. Pappus hairs are barbellate or plumose, but the scales show much variation in shape, size and colour. The pappus and different outgrowths of the cypselas facilitate dispersal.