Low tufted woolly perennial herbs; stems simple, leafy, sometimes woody at base. Leaves entire, alternate, ligulate to linear. Heads small, heterogamous, unisexual or bisexual, sessile, in dense head-like corymbs surrounded by many spreading bracteate leaves. Involucre subglobose or campanulate-globose, bracts 3-seriate, nearly equal, erect, oblong, scarious, brown on margins, woolly abaxially. Receptacle convex, naked. Outer florets filiform, corolla broadened at tip, 5-dentate. Central florets tubular, functionally staminate, corolla slightly broadened at tip. Style usually entire. Anthers sagittate at base, auricles with slender tails. Achenes oblong, slightly flattened, not ribbed. Pappus bristles slender, 1-seriate, short bearded, slightly connate at base.
More than 30 species in Eurasia (and reportedly in South America); one species in Taiwan.
