Herbs, perennial. Stems usually unbranched, unwinged. Cauline leaves undivided, linear-lanceolate or linear, margin entire and revolute between spaced, paired, or digitate spines. Capitula 1 or 2, erect. Involucre campanulate. Phyllaries numerous, imbricate, with reflexed to patent but not with an uncinate apical spine. Receptacle with dense long bristles. Stamen filaments glabrous; anther with long lacerate basal appendages. Style branches coherent, short, apex obtuse. Achene narrowly ellipsoid, laterally compressed, with ca. 15 raised contiguous wavily interlocking ribs, glabrous; apical rim forming a high crenulate crown; center of apical plate broadly conic, crowned by a cup-shaped disk. Pappus of 4 or 5 rows of plumose bristles; bristles basally connate into a ring, falling off together, outer not much shorter than inner.

One species: China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia.

(Authors: Shi Zhu (石铸 Shih Chu); Werner Greuter)