Shrubs or herbs, more or less aromatic. Leaves alternate, simple. Inflorescences elongate panicles or flat topped. Heads many flowered, disciform, usually numerous. Involucral bracts imbricate, Outer florets numerous, in several rows, filiform, pistillate, fertile; achenes 4 or 5 angled, longitudinally grooved. Central florets many fewer, tubular, hermaphroditic, functionally staminate; anthers obtuse at apex, tailed at base; style entire sometimes divided; achenes often indistinct or vestigial as a small ring of basal sclerenchymatous cells of carpopodium. Pappus bristles free, barbellate.
About 80 species in Asia, North and South America, Africa, Australia; four species in Taiwan.
Peng, C.-I & C. H. Chen, W. P. Leu & H. F. Yen. 1998. Pluchea Cass. (Asteraceae: Inuleae) in Taiwan. Bull. Bot. Acad. Sin. 39(4): 287-297. 1998.
