Annual or perennial herbs or sub-shrubs; indumentum of simple septate, sometimes glandular hairs. Leaves alternate, rosetted and/or cauline. Inflorescence of solitary or cymosely arranged capitula; involucral bracts green, septate-hairy, 3–4-seriate; receptacle hemispherical, pitted, usually lacking scales. Ray florets female, ligulate, in 1–several series, white, pink, mauve, blue or yellow; style branches linear, stigmatic for their entire length; disc florets usually male with abortive ovaries, tubular, 5-toothed, yellow, stamens 5, inserted on corolla-tube, anthers obtuse at base, apical appendage lanceolate, style branches lanceolate, papillate. Fruiting capitulum burr-like; cypselas flattened, cuneate, variously ornamented; pappus of rigid, usually retrorsely barbed awns, occasionally plumose, rarely absent.