Habit: tree, shrub, herb, liana

Important diagnostics: spiny stems or leaves, with pappus

Taxon group: dicots

Plant: monoecious, dioecious

Leaf: position: opposite, alternate, verticillate/whorled, basal

Leaf: nature: simple, compound

Leaf: blade: margin: entire, lobed, cleft, parted or divided, dentate

Flowers: inflorescence: raceme, head, cyme, panicle, ligulate, tubular

Flowers: sexuality: bisexual, unisexual

Stamen: number: 4, 5

Stamen: filaments: free, connate into 1 tube or bundle

Pistil: ovary: 1-loculed

Pistil: ovule: 1 per locule

Ovary: position: inferior

Fruit: types and characters: a nut (incl. achene, caryopsis, schizocarp, pyrene, etc.), ribbed

Google Image Search: Link

Dictionary of The Families & Genera of Chinese Seed Plants: Link

Vascular Plant Type Catalog at NYBG: Link