Description: Annual or perennial herbs.
Leaves opposite or whorled, with upper leaves subopposite to alternalte, sessile or petilolate, simple, entire or trilobed.
Flowerheads homogamous, narrow cylindrical to campanulate; involucral bracts herbaceous to cartilaginous, 10–22, in 1–5 rows, unequal, usually persitent; receptacle flat or weakly convex, naked. Disc florets bisexual, 5-lobed, white to purple, lavender or pink, outer surface often glandular at base of throat.
Achenes narrow-cylindrical, 5-ribbed, glandular; pappus of 25–40 scabrous persistent bristles, persistent.
Distribution and occurrence: A genus of 45 species in North America, Asia and Europe. In Australia 2 species naturalized.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Orchard, A.E., Cross, E.W. & Bayer, R.J., (2015) Flora of Australia vol 37 Asteraceae 1. p599
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