Herbs, annual or perennial, or rarely subshrubs. Leaves alternate, entire or ± dissected. Capitula small, radiate or disciform, solitary or in open corymbiform synflorescences, pedunculate or sessile. Involucre hemispheric or broadly campanulate; phyllaries 3-seriate, unequal or subequal, margins scarious. Receptacle convex, not alveolate, naked. Ray florets female, 1- to many seriate, white, pink, violet, or purple; disk florets usually functionally male, limb funnelform, 5-lobed; anthers obtuse, entire; style branches linear, appendages short, obtuse. Achenes of ray florets obovoid to oblong, sometimes compressed, glabrous or strigillose, often winged. Pappus of (1 or)2 to many awns, spreading, spiniform, shortly barbellate, elongating after flowering, sometimes with 2 to many scales, rarely of barbellate bristles or absent.

About 28-30 species: mainly in Australia, few species in SE Asia; one species (endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Yilin (陈艺林 Chen Yi-ling); Luc Brouillet)