Nardosmia Cassini.

Herbs, perennial, subdioecious. Rhizomes as stems robust, node-shaped or at least more robust in lower part. Basal leaves long petiolate; blade broadly cordate or reniform-cordate, margin incised or basally lobed, parallel to furcate. Stem leaves bract-shaped, sessile, subamplexicaul. Capitula radiate, disciform or discoid, hetero- or homogamous. Involucres campanulate, basally with bractlets; phyllaries 1-5-seriate, equal. Receptacle flat, glabrous, peltate. Florets in female capitula fertile; corolla filiform, apex obliquely truncate or ± indistinctly radiate, or lamina longer; functionally male florets: corolla tubular, 5-toothed; anthers entire or obtuse at base, or rarely shortly hastate; style apically clavate, conical, 2-fid, style in female florets filiform, 2-fid. Achenes cylindric, glabrous, ribbed. Pappus of many bristles, white.

Nineteen species: Asia, Europe, North America; six species (two endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Yilin (陈艺林 Chen Yi-ling); Bertil Nordenstam)