▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁habit ats . ▁The ▁largest ▁proportion ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁ar id ▁and ▁sem iar id ▁regions ▁of ▁subt rop ical ▁and ▁lower ▁temper ate ▁lat itudes . ▁The ▁A ster aceae ▁may ▁represent ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁aut och th on ous ▁fl ora ▁in ▁many ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁A ster aceae ▁is ▁an ▁econom ically ▁important ▁family , ▁providing ▁products ▁such ▁as ▁cook ing ▁o ils , ▁leaf ▁veget ables ▁like ▁lett uce , ▁sun flow er ▁se eds , ▁art ich okes , ▁swe eten ing ▁agents , ▁coffee ▁subst it utes ▁and ▁her bal ▁te as . ▁Several ▁gener a ▁are ▁of ▁h ort icult ural ▁importance , ▁including ▁pot ▁mar ig old ▁( Cal end ula ▁offic inal is ), ▁E chin ace a ▁( con ef low ers ), ▁various ▁da is ies , ▁fle ab ane , ▁ch rys anth em ums , ▁dah lias , ▁z in ni as , ▁and ▁hel en iums . ▁A ster aceae ▁are ▁important ▁in ▁her bal ▁medicine , ▁including ▁Gr ind elia , ▁y arrow , ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁▁ ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁many ▁A ster aceae ▁are ▁considered ▁we eds ▁in ▁various ▁circumstances . ▁Of ▁these , ▁many ▁are ▁invas ive ▁species ▁in ▁particular ▁regions , ▁often ▁having ▁been ▁introduced ▁by ▁human ▁ag ency . ▁Ex amples ▁include ▁various ▁t umble we eds , ▁B id ens , ▁ ▁rag we eds