How are Asteraceae fruits adapted for seed dispersal?

Members of the Asteraceae family produce a dry, single-seeded fruit known as an achene, which remains closed at maturity. Seed dispersal is primarily achieved through various modifications of these achenes, often involving the floral pappus or surrounding structures.1

Adaptations for dispersal include:

• Wind: Species like the dandelion possess a pappus with capillary bristles that provide buoyancy, allowing the wind to carry the achenes.1
• Animal Transport: Some genera, such as beggar-tick, feature barbed pappus awns that cling to fur or clothing. Others, like burdock and cocklebur, utilize hooked bracts (involucre) to attach to animals or humans.1
• Water: Achenes of some streamside species are buoyant and disperse by floating, while others may be transported in mud on the feet of waterfowl.1
• Ants: Certain genera, such as Centaurea, produce achenes that attract ants, which carry them to feed on specific parts of the fruit wall.1
• Structural Modification: Some species, like tickseed, feature thin, flat achenes with expanded margins (wings) to aid in movement.1