Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs. Leaves basal and cauline, petiolate or sessile, alternate, entire, toothed or pinnatifid. Capitula radiate or discoid, solitary; involucral bracts 2–3-seriate, subequal to unequal, reflexed in fruit, chartaceous at base, herbaceous toward apex; receptacle convex to hemispherical, with numerous stiff setae, smooth or pitted. Ray florets when present usually neuter, rarely female, 1- or 2-seriate, ligulate or funnel-shaped, yellow, red or purple or a combination of these colours. Disc florets bisexual; corolla campanulate to cylindric or urceolate, 5-lobed, yellow to red or purple; anthers not caudate at base; style branches long, tapered, glabrous or hairy. Cypselas obpyramidal, sparsely to densely hairy at least near base. Pappus persistent, of 5–10 scales, often aristate, 1–2-seriate.
