Herbs, annual or biennial. Stem erect, branched or unbranched. Leaves undivided, lyrate, or pinnatipartite, margin entire or toothed. Capitula heterogamous, solitary at end of stem and branches, sometimes additionally 1 or few subbasal. Involucre glabrous or sparsely arachnoid. Phyllaries imbricate, rigid to subrigid; middle phyllaries broadly rounded; inner phyllaries with scarious apical appendage. Outer florets in 1 row, sterile, with corollas 5-20-cleft; inner florets many, bisexual, in many rows. Corolla yellow or purple. Stigmatic branches long. Achene sericeous-villous, apex with denticulate rim; attachment scar surrounded by conspicuously thickened rim. Pappus elements of one type, scalelike, wider toward apex, scabridulous, rarely absent.

Seven species: C and SW Asia; two species (one introduced) in China.

(Authors: Shi Zhu (石铸 Shih Chu); Ludwig Martins)