• flowers small, surrounded by chaffy scales and clustered in spikes or heads 

MALVACEAE  -
Hibiscus family

• flower hibiscus-like with many stamens borne near the end of central column similar to a bottle brush
• leaves alternate 

BORAGINACEAE -
Borage family

• regular flowers arranged in a scorpioid cyme (like a scorpion's tail)
• alternate leaves

LEGUMINOSAE -
Legume family

• fruit a pod that splits in two
• alternate (usually compound) leaves

ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) -
Daisy family

• what appear to be flowers are heads of minute flowers