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How are the leaves arranged on Asteraceae plants?
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Asteraceae
The flowering head of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is formed of yellow, petal-like ray flowers and a brown center of minute disk flowers.
In the Asteraceae family, the leaves are typically simple or occasionally compound. Their arrangement along the stem varies, appearing as:
- Alternate
- Opposite
- Whorled (less commonly)
It is also quite common for these plants to exhibit a combination of these patterns, where the leaves are arranged oppositely toward the base of the stem and transition to an alternate arrangement higher up.1