Dandelions, Daisies and Thistles: sorting the look-alikes

Can you distinguish between all the thistle lookalikes, between the mayweeds and chamomiles, or between the hawkbits and the hawkweeds?

Sort out the look-alikes in this, the largest family of flowering plants – the Asteraceae (or Compositae as they were previously called).

Spend the morning getting to grips with the basic features of this family, particularly those features that help us sort out the different genera and species. The rest of the day will be spent exploring the local habitats (at a leisurely pace) and practising those ID skills.

By the end of the session you will be able to tackle the identification of the major genera and species of our Asteraceae, by their key floral features, using a hand lens.

Led by Ros Bennett, Botanist

Suitable for beginners and improvers

Photo: Carline Thistle (Vaughn Matthews)

For further information, please visit the Study Days page of the Kent Wildlife Trust website.