Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. Dahlias are members of the Asteraceae family, along with sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemums and zinnias, and are named in honour of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl (1751–1789), a student of the famous taxonomist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778). They were introduced to Australia from Britain in the early nineteenth century.