Herbs or sometimes subshrubs, perennial. Stem with fibers in phloem, without pericyclic cambium and resin canals. Leaves generally sessile, sparsely hairy, margin often dentate, revolute. Capitula solitary or few together, heterogamous, disciform. Phyllaries generally cartilaginous but often with a papery apical portion, in several rows, outnumbering disk florets. Disk florets bisexual; corolla yellow; corolla lobes erect; veins reaching apex of lobes. Anthers ecalcarate, without tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendages flat, as wide as thecae. Style branches obtuse, dorsally with obtuse sweeping hairs not reaching furcation; stigmatic surface basally separated but apically confluent. Achenes with 2 or 3 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with elongated, not myxogenic twin hairs; epidermis smooth. Pappus of basally connate, barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row; apical cells acute.

About 43 species: N Africa, C and SW Asia, Europe, Macaronesia; one species in China.

(Authors: Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer)