This volume contains a complete systematic treatment of the flowering plant order Asterales, comprising 12 families with ca. 1,720 genera and about 26,300 species. The order includes Compositae as the largest family of flowering plants. Based on traditional studies, several of the constituent families have long been recognized as being closely interrelated. The inclusion in the order of Alseuosmiaceae, Argophyllaceae, Carpodetaceae, Phellinaceae and Rousseaceae is the result mainly of new advances in molecular systematics. Identification keys are provided for all genera, and likely phylogenetic relationships are discussed extensively. The wealth of information contained in this volume makes it an indispensable source for all working in the fields of pure and applied plant sciences.