Herbs 0.3-2 m tall, perennial. Stem stout, erect, hollow. Basal leaves very large, lyrate with winged petiole shallowly pinnately lobed or undivided; leaf blade cordate, triangular-ovate, or ovate. Capitula usually clustered at stem apex, large. Involucre hemispheric. Phyllaries blackish, imbricate, narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, apex long acuminate and often reflexed. Receptacle with many long subulate bristles. Corolla glabrous, tube as long as limb. Anther tails lacerate, lanate. Achene glabrous, wrinkled, apically crowned. Pappus homomorphic, in 1 row; bristles numerous, straw-colored to brownish, plumose, flattened, basally connate into a ring, caducous as a whole.

Aucklandia and Frolovia are very closely related. In a molecular study by Y. J. Wang et al. (Ann. Bot. 99: 311-322. 2007), the two genera form together a small clade, which is nested within the morphologically much different genus Dolomiaea. However, as sampling and analysis of this group is not yet complete, we prefer not to make generic rearrangements of these species here. In C. Shih and S. Y. Jin (FRPS 78(2): 58. 1999), the species of this genus is included in Saussurea subg. Frolovia.

One species: N India, Kashmir, N Pakistan; introduced to China.

(Authors: Shi Zhu (石铸 Shih Chu); Eckhard von Raab-Straube)