Sphaeranthus L.
戴星草屬
Low erect annuals. Branches spreading. Leaves alternate, obovate to oblong, mucronulate-serrulate to dentate, decurrent, glandular punctate. Heads disciform, heterogamous, in terminal solitary, globose clusters, with or without bracts between heads, clusters sessile on a common receptacle. Receptacles naked, commonly globose or disciform, few bracted or not. Outer florets pistillate, few to many, fertile, slender, minutely 2- or 3-dentate. Disc florets bisexual, solitary or few, fertile or sterile, tube thickened, limb 4- or 5-dentate. Involucre campanulate, narrow, bracts narrow, dry, few-seriate, acute or obtuse, scarious, unequal. Base of anthers obtuse to sagittate, auricles acute or tailed. Style of disc florets terete, bifid, branches filiform or connate. Achenes oblong, somewhat flattened, truncate at apex, base contracted. Pappus absent.
Tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia, also in Australia; one species in Taiwan.
