ASTERACEAE  

Annual herbs. Leaves alternate, pinnatisect. Capitula disciform, solitary, sessile, surrounded by leaves. Involucralbracts in 2 subequal rows. Receptacle convex or conical, epaleate. Marginalflorets female, fertile, in several rows; tube and lamina 0. Style persistent and spinescent in fruit. Discflorets functionally male; corolla 3- or 4-lobed. Anthers ecalcarate and ecaudate. Style branches fused. Cypselas glabrous, dorsiventrally flattened, laterally winged; wings sometimes projected into apical teeth, sometimes transversely rugose to sulcate. Pappus 0.

Annual or biennial herbs. Leaves rosulate to alternate, white-veined to variegated above, sinuate-lobate or pinnatifid, undulate, margins spiny. Capitula discoid, solitary, terminal, erect or drooping. Involucre broadly subglobose; bracts marginally spiny and spine-tipped. Receptacle flat, densely setose. Florets bisexual, fertile; corolla purple; tube slender below, abruptly expanded above, deeply 5-lobed. Anthers with very short tails; filaments connate into papillose tube. Style scarcely thickened below branches, there furnished with ring of short hairs; branches linear-lanceolate, flattened, connate, minutely papillose outside. Cypselas obovoid, somewhat compressed, glabrous, attachment scar +/- horizontal, central. Pappus double: outer row of scabrid, deciduous bristles, basally connate in a ring, inner row of short hairs. x = 17 (7).

Annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, small trees or vines, very variable in habit and foliage, sometimes succulent. Leaves generally alternate, sometimes radical. Capitula radiate or discoid, solitary or cymose to corymbose-paniculate. Involucre generally calyculate, cylindric, campanulate or hemispherical; bracts mostly in 1 row, rarely in 2, sometimes connate. Receptacle always epaleate, flat or somewhat convex. Rayflorets female, fertile, mostly yellow, sometimes pink, purple, violet, rarely white. Discflowers bisexual or sometimes functionally male; corolla tubular, funnel-shaped or abruptly campanulate above, 5-lobed, yellow, whitish or variously coloured. Anthers ecalcarate, ecaudate or sometimes caudate; apical appendage ovate-lanceolate to oblong, flat; filament collar dilated; endothecial tissue radial. Style branches truncate to obtuse, with crown of hairs, without appendages, with discrete stigmatic lines. Cypselas ellipsoid-obovoid and ribbed, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes with myxogenic hairs. Pappus of many fine bristles, rarely 0. x = 10 (7, 9, 11, 12, 23) (aneuploids, high polyploidy, B-chromosomes).

Annual herbs, much branched, usually sparsely glandular-pubescent. Leaves alternate or opposite below, sessile, dissected or rarely simple, segments narrow, margin entire. Capitula radiate or discoid, several-flowered, on long peduncles, terminal and axillary, often corymbosely arranged. Involucre turbinate or campanulate; bracts in 1-3 rows. Receptacle epaleate. Ray florets, when present, female, fertile; corolla yellow, strap-shaped. Style branches linear, obtuse. Disc florets bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow or tinged reddish, tubular below, campanulate above, 5-toothed. Anthers with bases and apical appendage both obtuse. Style branches linear, apex rotundate-truncate or shortly appendaged, papillose outside, at least near tips. Cypselas narrowly obpyramidal, usually 4-angled, glabrous or pubescent. Pappus of 8-10 scales, with prominent midrib sometimes excurrent as awn. x = 10 (8, 11, 12) (polyploidy, B-chromosomes-1 report).

Densely to moderately branched, compact to diffuse, sometimes spiny shrubs. Stems prostrate to erect, glabrous or laxly tomentose, leafy and with lateral brachyblasts with crowded leaves. Leaves decussate or sometimes alternate, laxly to densely set, semiamplexicaul, sessile, entire, midribbed, glabrous or tomentose, usually glandular with stalked glands. Capitula radiate, solitary, sessile, terminal on stems and brachyblasts, often in fork of two branches. Involucral bracts in 3-10 rows, imbricated, entire, basally firm, apically spreading and scarious and sometimes brown with pale margins, otherwise yellowish, glabrous or seldom dorsally tomentose, often glandular. Receptacle flat, paleate or epaleate, sometimes shortly squamose. Ray florets female, fertile, tube cylindrical-funnel-shaped, sometimes glandular, lamina spreading, elliptic, yellow and sometimes dorsally with a brownish purple stripe, usually 4-veined, apically minutely 3-lobed. Style terete, bifid; branches spreading-revolute, semiterete, linear, glabrous or minutely penicillate apically, obtuse; stylopodium 0 or indistinct. Disc florets bisexual; corolla yellow, 5-lobed; lobes spreading, ovate-triangular, marginally thickened, dorsally usually gland-dotted. Style terete, bifid; branches spreading-revolute, semiterete, narrowly oblong, apically penicillate and truncate; stylopodium +/- distinct, conical-terete. Anthers linear, with a sterile, flat, ovate, apical appendage and sterile, subulate, entire or slightly branched tails; filaments filiform. Cypselas terete or angular, +/- narrowly oblong, glabrous or pilose, always more densely pilose in ray florets. Pappus crown-like, scarious, of many +/- connate scales, often also with 1-4 barbellate, apically slightly flattened bristles. x = 7 (1 report).