Perennial herbs, often very small, low, mat- or cushion-forming or caespitose, rarely up to 12 cm high. Leaves rosulate, alternate, often densely imbricate, sometimes a few cauline or bract-like, linear-oblanceolate or oblong-ovate, glabrous or very rarely with septate hairs, rarely keeled or flat but still somewhat crassulate-coriaceous, with sunken multicellular glands; apex retuse, obtuse or apiculate; margins entire, sometimes scariose, often with septate hairs towards the base; petiole sheath-like or rarely a true sheath, often purple; stomata adaxial and abaxial. Capitula disciform, heterogamous, solitary and terminal or seldom 2-10 corymbosely arranged, up to 5 mm wide, sessile to pedunculate; peduncle often elongated in fruit, glabrous or rarely septate hairy; bracts leaf-like, phyllary-like, or absent. Phyllaries (3-) 5-14 (-19), ± imbricate, free, equal, in 1-3 series, oblong-linear or obovate, often with microscopic glands at the base, sometimes with translucent ducts; nerves 1 or rarely 5 or absent; apex obtuse-acute or retuse; margins entire or seldom denticulate, ± scariose, often tinged purple. Receptacle naked and flat. Outer florets female, fertile, tubular or cyathiform, in one series, glabrous; corolla 3-4 (-5)-lobed, basally often bulbous, white, purple, pale green, or yellowish, often two-coloured; vascular tissue in lobe margin, central, or absent; style glabrous, bilobed; style-branches short, ovate. Central florets functionally male, campanulate, with an undivided, truncate style lacking sweeping hairs and stigmatic papillae, or central florets perfect, ± tubular to slightly campanulate, with a divided, truncate style having short, acute sweeping hairs and stigmatic papillae; corolla 4-lobed but occasionally 2-, 3- to 5-lobed, white, purple, pale green or yellowish, often two-coloured, glabrous; vascular tissue in lobe margin, central, or both central and marginal, or absent; anthers caudate, 0.5-1.5 mm long; appendage oblong; endothecium polarized orrarely partly radial. Cypsela straight or rarely slightly curved, ellipsoid-obvoid or somewhat terete, nerved or ribbed, glabrous, minutely papillose or hairy; apex smooth, rimmed, crowned or with small horns or awns, rarely beaked. Pappus absent.

Low, creeping plants, forming loose to dense mats. Leaves linear, erectopatent, 7-13 × 1.0-1.3 mm; apex obtuse; margins narrowly scariose, hairy at the base. Capitula subsessile; peduncle elongated up to 1 cm in fruit; bracts 1-2, leaf-like. Phyllaries 7-10, oblong, obtuse, with 3 inconspicuous translucent ducts, 2.0-2.5 mm long. Outer florets 5-7, cyathiform, (5-) 4-lobed, white or tube white and lobes purple, 1.3-2.0 mm long; vascular tissue central. Central florets 4-5, functionally male, coloured as outer florets but soon turning brown, 1.8-2.5 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers 1.1-1.2 mm long. Cypsela obovoid, ± terete, ribbed, glabrous, c. 1.6 mm long; apex indistinctly rimmed.

Low, creeping, branching, and mat-forming herbs. Leaves linear, spreading, 10-25 × 0.7-1.7 mm; apex obtuse; margins glabrous or sparingly hairy at the base. Capitula subsessile in flower; peduncle up to 2 cm in fruit; bracts 0-3, leaf-like. Phyllaries 6-8, obovate, retuse, with 3 translucent ducts, 1.5-2.0 mm long. Outer florets 2-4, tubular, 3-4-lobed, pale yellow to white, 1.2-1.4 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 7-11, perfect, ± tubular, 4-lobed, coloured as outer florets, 1.4-1.8 mm long; vascular tissue central or rudimentary; anthers c. 0.6 mm long. Cypsela ellipsoid, ribbed, glabrous, c. 2 mm long; apex with a minute rim.

Herbae repentes ramificantes tegetes formates. Folia linearia effusa, 10-25 × 0.7-1.7 mm, apice obtuso, margine glabro vel versus basim sparsim pubescenti. Capitula subsessilia sub anthesi, pedunculis elongatis usque ad 2 cm in statu fructificanti; bracteae 0-3, foliaceae. Phyllaria 6-8, obovata, retusa, ductibus translucidis 3, 1.5-2.0 mm longis. Flosculi exteriores 2-4, tubiformes, 3-4-lobati, flavidi-albi, 1.2-1.4 mm longi; textura vascularis absens. Flosculi centrales 7-11, perfecti, ± tubiformes; 4-lobati, concolores cum floribus exterioribus, 1.4-1.8 mm longi; textura vascularis centralis vel rudimentalis; antherae brevissimae, c. 0.6 mm longae. Cypselae ellipsoideae, costatae, glabrae, c. 2 mm longae, colla apicali parvos.

Herbs forming low, soft patches or cushions. Leaves ± needle-like, erectopatent, linear, 5-7 (-13) × 1 mm; apex apiculate; margins hairy towards the base. Capitula subsessile among the leaves; peduncle without bracts, not elongated in fruit. Phyllaries 12, linear-oblong, obtuse, 3 translucent ducts, 3 mm long. Outer florets c. 10, cyathiform, 4-lobed, white, often with purple lobes, 1.7-1.8 mm long; vascular tissue central. Central florets 8-16, functionally male, white, 2.0-2.4 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers c. 1 mm long. Cypsela obovoid-ellipsoid, ribbed, glabrous, 2 mm long; apex rimmed.

Plants loosely caespitose, often creeping; stems slender, sparsely hairy, up to 12 cm tall. Leaves spreading-erect, linear, with a prominent mid-rib, (10-) 15-80 × 0.5-2.0 mm; apex retuse, obtuse or apiculate; margins most often hairy from base to half of their length. Capitula 1 (-3), pedunculate; peduncle glabrous or hairy, elongated in fruit; bracts 2-6 leaf-like. Pyllaries (8-) 10-14 (-19), oblong, acute-obtuse, with 3 translucent ducts. Outer florets 10-15, cyathiform, 4-lobed, white, 1.5-1.7 mm long; vascular tissue central or rudimentary. Central florets 8-16, functionally male, white, 2 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers 1.0-1.2 rom long. Cypsela ellipsoid, straight or slightly curved, ribbed, glabrous, 1.5-2.5 mm long; apex rimmed or minutely beaked.

Very small, solarity or matted herbs with poorly developed roots. Leaves linear, erect, 4 × 0.7 mm; apex retuse; margins glabrous and scariose in upper half. Capitula sessile; peduncle not elongated in fruit. Phyllaries 5, oblong, obtuse-acute, c. 3 mm long. Outer florets 1-2, tubular, 3--4-lobed, greenish with often purplish lobes, 1.4-1.7 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 2-3, perfect, 3--4-lobed, coloured as the outer florets, 1.7-1.8 mm long; vascular tissue marginal; anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long. Cypsela obovoid, often 4-angled, ribbed, hairy at base, c. 2 mm long including the awns at the apex.

Small, creeping plants with rooting branches, forming loose mats. Leaves loosely imbricate, linear, recurved, 4-10 × 0.5-0.7 mm, apex apiculate; margins glabrous or hairy near the base. Capitula shortly pedunculate; peduncle elongated to 2.5 cm in fruit; bracts 4-8, leaf-like. Phyllaries (10-) 12-14 (-19), linear-oblong, acute or apiculate, with 1 or 3 translucent ducts, 2;5 mm long. Outer florets 11-19, narrowly cyathiform, (3-) 4-lobed, white, 1.0-1.5 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 3-8, functionally male, white, 1.0-1.7 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long. Cypsela ellipsoid-obovoid, sometimes slightly flattened, glabrous, with 4-6 ribs protruding into small horns at apex, 1.0-1.8 mm long.

Densely caespitose or cushion-formmg herbs. Leaves spreading, stellately arranged, oblong-ovate, conspicuously striate nerved, flat, (2-) 4-8 × 1.5-2.5 mm; apex acute-apiculate; margins glabrous. Capitula subsessile in the rossette, 3-6; peduncle rarely elongated in fruit; bracts dimorphic, 1-3, the lower leaf-like, the upper phyllary-like. Phyllaries 7-11, linear-oblong, acute, with 3 translucent ducts, ± 3 mm long. Outer florets c. 8, (3-) 4-lobed, tubular or narrowly cyathiform, white but soon turning brown when withering, 1 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 2-4, functionally male, purple, 1.5-2.0 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers ± 0.7 mm long. Cypsela obovoid, somewhat 4-angled, distinctly ribbed, minutely papillose, 1.5-2.0 mm long; ribs protruding into small horns at apex.

Caespitose plants, often creeping, up to 5 (-10) cm tall Leaves spreading to erectopatent, oblanceolate, with a conspicuous mid-rib, keeled, 10-20 × 1.5--3.5 mm; apex obtuse; margins glabrous or sparingly hairy. Capitula 2-8, corymbosely arranged, on a branched, sparsely pubescent, few-leaved stem, pedunculate; peduncle elongated in fruit; bracts dimorphic, 2-3 (-4), the lower leaf-like, the upper phyllary-like. Phyllaries 8-11, oblong, obtuse-acute, with 3 translucent ducts, ± 3 mm long. Outer florets 8-12, tubular or narrowly cyathiform, 3--4-lobed, purple or rarely with a white tube and purple lobes, 1 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 3-5, functionally male, purple, 1.5 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers ± 0.8 mm long. Cypsela obovoid, often lightly flattened, distinctly ribbed, minutely papillose, 1.5-2.0 mm long; apex smooth, obtuse.