Shrubs or small trees, erect or scrambling, mostly deciduous. Leaves alternate or clustered on short shoots, simple, basally 3-nerved. Capitula in compound ± spherical secondary heads which are solitary or several together in a dichasial synflorescence; individual capitula flattened laterally, each subtended by a single bract, with two marginal opposite lateral phyllaries each subtending a female floret, and with 2 (or 4) functionally male disk florets subtended by paleae, sometimes also an extra pair of narrow lateral paleae; subtending bracts acuminate to truncate, green; bracts of basal capitula wider and flatter than in apical capitula; phyllaries elliptic to obovate with truncate to acute apex; paleae conduplicate, obtuse, apically ± 3-lobed. Corolla of female florets cylindrical; achenes black, flattened dorsiventrally, obcordate or obovate to elliptic in outline with attenuate base and a short apical neck, with twin-hairs along lateral margins and in some on a ridge on flat side; pappus of scales, with longer lateral scales. Corolla of functionally male florets 5-lobed, white to yellow or greenish; anthers tailed at base; achenes imperfect, irregularly obconical; pappus lacking or of scales. Receptacle minute, wart-like.