Sphaeranthus cochinchinensis Loureiro; S. microcephalus Willdenow; S. suberiflorus Hayata.

Stems 40-50 cm tall, usually robust, glabrous or pubescent, curved, ascending, branched, winged, wings entire. Cauline leaves obovate-oblong, 3-5 × 1.5-2.2 cm, shortly pubescent or glabrescent, base narrowed, apex rounded. Clusters of capitula globose or ovoid, ca. 8 mm in diam.; peduncle glabrous, winged, bracts slender, acuminate. Capitula campanulate, ca. 3 × 2.5 mm. Involucre ca. 3 × 2.5 mm; phyllaries subequal, oblanceolate, glabrous or only outermost ones abaxially glandular. Receptacle naked. Marginal florets numerous; corolla tubular, ca. 1.5 mm; style apex obtuse. Central florets ca. 3; corolla ca. 1.5 mm, 5-dentate; base of anthers entire, filaments dilated, glabrous; style cylindric, shortly bifid. Achenes cylindric, ca. 1 mm, gland-dotted, without pappus. Fl. Dec-May. 2n = 20.

Waste fields, grassy slopes. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam; tropical Africa, Australia].