Eremogone Fenzl, Vers. Darstell. Alsin. 13. 1833.

Herbs perennial. Rhizome branched, robust. Stems pulvinate. Leaves long linear, graminoid or shortly setiform, apex spinose. Cymes terminal, occasionally contracted into a head or cymose clusters, rarely reduced to a solitary flower. Sepals conspicuously hardened at base, sometimes whole receptacle and calyx proximally becoming woody in fruit. Petals usually white.

McNeill (Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 24: 120–127. 1962) subdivided Arenaria subgen. Eremogone into seven sections, three of which occur in China: A. sect. Monogone Maximowicz (Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 3, 26: 436. 1880; species no. 7); A. sect. Capillares McNeill (loc. cit.: 122; species nos. 8–13); and A. sect. Sclerophyllae (Boissier) McNeill (loc. cit.: 126; species nos. 14 and 15).

About 70 species: primarily in C and SW Asia and North America, but extending to N Africa and Europe; nine species (three endemic) in China.