Wonderful Weeds of Crete - Edibles - Compositae

The Compositae family is one of the largest groups of flowering plants on earth. The family is often referred to as Asteraceae, from the old Greek Άστήρ, meaning ‘star’, a reference to the shape of their flowers. In the vernacular the family is referred to as ‘daisies’, leading many people to think of the members of this family as annual flowers (dandelion, calendula, daisies, etc), and not realising that the group also contains many thistles, shrubs, vines, and even some trees. 
The Compositae are also one of the largest groups of plants represented on Crete, making up about 10% of the flora variety on the island. The Cretan contingent of Compositae includes many of the plants most familiar to people, i.e. dandelions, daisies, chicory, sunflowers, clovers, and many, many more.