Perennial, branched, herb, rarely shrubby; leaves alternate, simple, crenulate; heads large, terminal, long peduncled, corymbose, heterogamous; involucre hemispheric or broader; bracts many seriate, broad, appresses; inner with scarious tips, outet shorter, often with coloured, margins; ray florets, 1-seriate, scarious, fertile, female, ligulate, white, yellow or purple; disk florets tubular, terete or broad, bisexual, 5-lobed; stamens-5, epipetalous, syngenecious, anthers base obtuse, entire; ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, solitary, basal, obtuse, style arms elongate, obtuse; style arms of bisexual florets with truncate, penicillate tips; achenes subterete or angled, variously ribbed or winged; pappus short or often absent.