124. Tripolium Nees, Gen. Sp. Aster. 10, 152. 1832.
碱菀属 jian wan shu
Authors: Yilin Chen & Luc Brouillet
Herbs, annual. Stems erect. Leaves alternate, entire or sparsely serrate. Capitula radiate, in corymbiform synflorescences. Involucre cylindric-campanulate; phyllaries 2- or 3-seriate, outer shorter, loosely imbricate, fleshy becoming membranous when dry, 3- or more veined, margins scarious. Receptacle ± flat, alveolate, alveola margin crenulate, naked. Florets fertile. Ray florets female, 1-seriate, lamina bluish white to bluish violet or pinkish; disk florets bisexual, numerous, yellow, narrowly funnelform, 5-lobed; anther base obtuse; style branch tips lanceolate. Achenes monomorphic, narrowly oblong, compressed, glabrous or sparsely strigose, margin 2-ribbed, faces 1-veined. Pappus in 3 or 4+ series, of white to dirty white or pinkish to reddish, thin, barbellate bristles, conspicuously elongating after anthesis, becoming 2 × as long as involucre.
One species: N Africa, Asia, Europe.