Herbs, perennial, base somewhat woody, covered with fibrous leaf sheaths; indumentum absent or of medifixed hairs. Leaves alternate, pinnatisect with long filiform lobes. Synflorescence a ± flat-topped cyme. Capitula small, heterogamous, disciform. Involucre hemispheric; phyllaries in 4 rows. Receptacle conical, epaleate. Marginal florets female; corolla tapering above, apex minutely 4-toothed. Disk florets apparently bisexual but functionally male, apex 5-lobed, compressed into resinous mass. Anther apical appendage triangular. Achenes obliquely obovoid, thinly walled, with 2 adaxial-lateral rows of myxogenic cells. Corona absent.

Molecular data (Watson et al., BMC Evolutionary Biology; http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/2/17/; accessed 10 Apr 2011) place Filifolium as the sister group to Artemisia subg. Dracunculus (Besser) Rydberg.

One species: China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia).

(Authors: Shi Zhu (石铸 Shih Chu); Christopher J. Humphries, Michael G. Gilbert)