The sunflower family, also known as the Asteraceae family, is one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants, with over 24,000 species. Historically, systematics focused on physical attributes of species, such as the number of petals, leaves, and other physical characteristics. However, this new research has taken a different approach by examining the genetic makeup of the sunflower family.
Significant Diversification
The study found that the sunflower family has undergone a significant amount of diversification, with different lineages evolving different physical characteristics.