Tomentose annual herbs of varying habit with alternate lanceolate to spathulate leaves. Capitula small, usually in dense glomerules, disciform. Glomerules numerous, often overtopped by lateral branches. Involucre ovate to pyramidate; phyllaries numerous, sometimes distinctly 5-seriate, at fruiting time convergent, divergent or even stellately spreading. Florets yellowish, very small, female florets filiform, the outer ones always without pappus and in the axils of the outer phylla¬ries (called receptacular scales by some authors), their cypselas sometimes included in the phyllaries. In the centre female florets with pappus and few (often 4-5) bisexual florets or only bisexual florets with or without pappus. Bisexual florets fertile or sterile. Cypselas very small, papillose, sometimes heteromorphous; pappus capillaceous, slightly scabrous.