A creeping perennial herb forming tight mats up to ca. 1 m wide, densely covered all over with long silky silver hairs. Rhizomes interwoven, ± horizontal on soil surface or ascending and tightly packed, densely hairy; branches us. in clusters, up to 4 radiating from around a flowering node; leaves clustered near apex, remaining crowded or occ. older ones becoming up to 0.8 cm apart. No short shoots. Roots moderately stout for the size of the shoots, up to 0.5 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 4-10 × 2-3 mm; blade coriaceous, dark green but hidden under a dense layer of woolly hairs; pinnae 4-8 pairs, very close-set and not easily discerned under the hairs, cut to rhachis, obovate, obtuse, without teeth. Peduncles longer than leaves, 1-2 cm, nude, densely woolly. Monoecious. Heads 3-10 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre subcampanulate; phyllaries ca. 20 in 2 subequal rows, oblong, grey-green but densely villous, with wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 20-50 in 1-2 rows, 2.75 mm long, straight, pale yellow or yellow-red, sts with 1-2 dark stripes along corolla and ovary; corolla ca. 3 times as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets more numerous. Achenes up to 1.6 × 0.6 mm, zb compressed, biconvex, golden-brown, scarcely wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

Habit, rhizomes and roots as in C. dendyi. Leaves 2-pinnatifid, 2-8 × 0.5-1.3 cm; blade 1.5-6.0 cm long, obovate, coriaceous and subfleshy, grey-green tinted with red pigment especially on the primary and secondary axes, sparsely pilose, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 5-15 pairs, cut to rhachis, distal ones close-set or overlapping, broadly elliptic and divided, reducing to distant oblong simple proximal pinnae; secondary pinnae 0-9 per pinna, equally on distal and proximal sides, cut to midrib of pinna, oblong or obovate, with rounded apices, flat or upturned, occ. with 1 or 2 small lobes on either side. Peduncles scarcely longer than leaves, 3-12 cm, stout, pilose, with 4-10 evenly-spaced bracts; lowermost bracts scarcely smaller than leaves, reducing evenly to simple and oblong or little divided uppermost bracts. Monoecious. Heads 0.5-1.3 cm diam.; surface convex to paraboloid; involucre hemispherical or flat; phyllaries in 2-3 subequal rows, overtopped by mature florets, otherwise as in C. dendyi; pistillate florets 100-240 in several rows, 3.25-3.75 mm long, straight, pale yellow or very dark red and almost black; corolla ca. 5 times as long as wide, with equal, obvious and diverging teeth; staminate florets ca. equal in number. Achenes up to 1.8-2.8 × 0.8-1.0 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round, pale brown or dark brown, deeply wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

Pinnae 8-15 pairs; proximal ones distant, distal ones us. overlapping; secondary pinnae up to 9 per pinna, oblong or obovate, upturned. Lower bracts on peduncle almost as divided as leaves, upper bracts simple or with few divisions. Involucre hemispherical; outer phyllaries us. pinnatifid, with up to 6 pairs of oblong lobes. Receptacle convex. Florets dark red; upper part of corolla almost black, lower part and ovary wine red; stigmas of pistillate and staminate florets not exserted far beyond the corolla, retracted into the corolla tube after anthesis (and during drying of specimens).

Leaves less divided; pinnae 5-10 pairs, not overlapping; secondary pinnae up to 5 per pinna, triangular to oblong, flat or scarcely upturned. Bracts on peduncle simple or with 1-3 lobes on either side. Involucre flat; phyllaries all simple, oblong. Receptacle conical. Florets yellow, with the corolla teeth reddish brown; stigmas far exserted and not retracted after anthesis (or on dried specimens).

Folia minus dissecta quam subsp. atratae; ultimae divisiones triangulares ad oblongas, planae vel leviter sursum inclinatae. Monoica. Involucrum planum; involucri squamae simplices, oblongae. Flosculi luteoli; corollae dentes cum exteriore apice lateritio.

A perennial herb with tufted leaves in loose open mats. Rhizomes us. well buried, pale, wiry, and glabrous; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves spirally arranged reduced scales lacking a blade and petiole, 0.5-2.0 cm apart. Short shoots growing upwards from the rhizome, with 3-8 tufted leaves at the apex. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.5 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1-4 × 0.3-0.6 cm; blade 1-4 cm, oblong to elliptic, thick, subfleshy, and stiff, yellow-green, sts with brown pigment on proximal lobes, with a moderate to dense cover of long woolly hairs, midrib prominently raised along the ventral surface; pinnae 12-20 pairs, close-set and us. overlapping, cut to rhachis, broadly elliptic; teeth on most pinnae, up to 6 per pinna, on distal margins, cut ca. 1/3 across pinna, close-set, narrowly triangular, obtuse. Peduncle us. borne on short shoots, ca. equal to leaves, 1-4 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, villous. Dioecious. Pistillate heads 3-5 mm diam., up to 10 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 20-40 in 3 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, ± villous, with a wide brown-tipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose developing fruit; at maturity phyllaries bend outwards to partly expose fruit; florets 25-120, ca. 2.0 mm long, curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 4—6 mm diam.; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 8-15 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Achenes up to 1.6 × 0.8 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Probably flowers in spring.

Rhizomata subterranea, pallida, rigidula. Folia imbricata, viva ad apices caulium determinatorum, rigida, subcarnosa, choratica pilis partim obscurata; pinnae imbricatae; dentes usque ad 6 oblongi ad triangulares, obtusi. Dioica.

A somewhat fleshy perennial herb of 1 or more summergreen tufts of much-divided leaves among loose rocks. Rhizomes ascending, at rock surface when young, becoming deeply buried, up to ca. 1 cm long, thick, ± fleshy, pale or reddish, with a few short deciduous hairs when young; branches often initially in clusters of up to 4 diverging from a flowering node and the nodes immediately behind, but few survive the first season; leaves usually remain crowded behind the apex, but sts eventually separate up to 2.5 cm apart. Roots numerous, very long and extensively branching, thick, up to 1.5 mm diam., fleshy. Leaves 2-pinnatifid, 2-5 × 0.3-0.8 cm; blade 1-3 cm long, narrowly obovate, coriaceous and subfleshy, grey-green, tinted with red pigment especially on primary and secondary axes, ± pilose, midrib not raised on vertical surface; pinnae 8-12 pairs, cut to rhachis, distal ones overlapping, broadly elliptic and divided, reducing to distant oblong simple proximal pinnae; secondary pinnae up to 9 per pinna, equally on proximal and distal sides, cut to midrib of pinna, with rounded apices, turned up at an angle to blade, occ. with a linear lobe on one or both sides. Peduncles easily exceeding leaves, 3-8 cm, stout, pilose, with 6-15 evenly spaced bracts; lowermost bracts scarsely smaller than leaves, reducing evenly to simple and oblong or 1— pinnatifid uppermost bracts. Subdioecious; pistillate, staminate and bisexual heads all common. Pistillate heads large, up to 2 cm diam., surface almost flat; involucre spreading and upturned at the margin; phyllaries numerous, in 2-several unequal rows, grey-green with a reddish tinge, ± pilose, not growing after anthesis; outer phyllaries exceeding florets, thick, simple and oblong or with 1-8 oblong lobes on both sides, without a scarious margin, gradually changing to thinner, simple, obovate inner phyllaries with a narrow scarious margin; florets 200-900 in numerous rows, 3.25-4.25 mm long, straight, pale yellow with brown corolla teeth, the whole floret rapidly turning brown after anthesis. corolla ca. 4 times as long as wide, with equal, obvious, diverging teeth. Staminate heads much smaller, less than 1 cm diam.: surface convex; involucre hemispherical; florets fewer, 120-450. Achenes up to 2.9 × 0.7 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round, golden-brown, deeply wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

A creeping, fleshy perennial herb. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, green or dark, flexible and ± pilose, becoming pale, wiry and glabrous if buried; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at the apex, 0.3-3.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with up to 5 clustered leaves, rarely converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots us. slender and weak, up to 0.8 mm diam. Leaves very variable in size, shape, and divisions, simple to incised-pinnatifid, occ. pinnatifid, 0.7-12.0 × 0.3-1.5 cm; blade 0.5-7.0 cm, narrowly to broadly obovate or elliptic, fleshy, green, or glaucous, us. without dark pigment, ± glabrous but dotted with sunken glandular hairs, midrib not raised on vertical surface, lobes (pinnae or teeth) 4-12 pairs, distant or the distal ones overlapping, oblong to orbicular; proximal lobes cut to rhachis, sinuses of distal lobes usually not reaching rhachis, sts cut only 1/5 to rhachis at widest part of the leaf; teeth often absent but up to 6 per lobe, on the distal and outer margins, small, triangular, obtuse or rounded, apiculate. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, ca. equal to leaves, 1-6 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, sparsely villous. Us, dioecious, occ. monoecious. Pistillate heads 2-7 mm diam.. up to 10 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 10-30 in 3 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, glabrous, with a wide, often brown-tipped, scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose subglobose fruiting head; florets 10-80, ca. 2-5 mm long, curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 3-8 mm diam.; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 5-10 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Bisexual heads predominantly staminate. Achenes up to 1.9 × 1.0 mm, slightly compressed, almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring and summer.

Leaves incised-pinnatifid (pinnatifid from Dunedin south), often ± glaucous, very variable in shape and division, narrowly to broadly elliptic or obovate; lobes 4-12 pairs, oblong to suborbicular, often toothed; lowermost sinuses on each side extending to rhachis; base of most proximal lobes ± truncate; terminal lobe not distinctly wider (between sinuses) than lateral lobes. Dioecious, heads on one plant either staminate or pistillate only; inner phyllaries of pistillate heads elongating after anthesis, enclosing fruit. Pollen grains with even spines and walls.

Leaves yellow-green, rhomboid, obovate or elliptic, sts entire but us. incised-pinnatifid with 1-5 triangular entire lobes or teeth on each side; lowermost sinus on each side not usually extending to rhachis; base of blade cuneate; terminal lobe distinctly wider than lateral lobes. Monoecious; heads on each plant a mixture of staminate heads and bisexual heads with us. 1 or 2 but sts up to 5 pistillate florets in 1 incomplete row surrounding 10-30 staminate florets. Pollen grains functional but with walls irregular in thickness and spines lacking or underdeveloped. Chromosome number not known. Figs. 3, 4.

Folia interdum integra sed plerumque incisa-pinnatiflda cum 1-5 triangularibus, integris lobis utrimque; loba terminalis lobis lateralibus maior. Monoica; capitula cum 0-5 femineis flosculis 10-30 masculos flosculos cingentibus.

A small or minute creeping perennial herb forming loose patches or part of a turf. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, slender, green or dark, flexible, sparsely villous; branches usually single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at the apex, 0.5-2.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with up to 4 clustered leaves, occ. converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.3 mm. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, extremely variable in size and texture, 0.3-5.0 × 0.1-0.8 cm; blade 0.2-4.0 cm long, obovate, membranous (fleshy in some coastal situations), bright green, sts with brown pigment on proximal pinnae, ± glabrous, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 3-15 pairs, distant or distal ones slightly overlapping, cut to rhachis, elliptic or broadly so; teeth absent or 1-2 on larger pinnae or up to 10 on all pinnae, on distal and outer margins, sts extending partly onto proximal margin, small, cut ca. 1/3 across pinna, triangular, acute to acuminate (obtuse and mucronate if fleshy). Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, short but equal to leaves, 0.2-3.0 cm, nude, pilose. Dioecious or monoecious. Heads very small, 1-3 mm diam. (pistillate heads 4 mm in fruit); surface convex. Pistillate heads with urceolate involucre; phyllaries 8-22 in 2 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, almost glabrous, with a broad us. browntipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow on to enclose the subglobose fruiting head; florets 10-30, ca. 1.5 mm long, not exceeding phyllaries, curved, yellow-green, corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads with hemispherical involucre; phyllaries 5-8 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Bisexual heads intermediate, with widely varying percentages of staminate and pistillate florets. Achenes up to 1.3-1.6 × 0.6-0.8 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring.

Planta parva vel nana. Folia 0.3-5.0 cm × 1-8 mm, membranacea vel carnosa; dentes plerumque limitati ad distales et exteriores margines pinnarum, triangulares. Monoica vel dioica. Capitula 1-3 mm diam., feminea capitula 4 mm ubi fructificantia. Flosculi 10-40.

Leaves up to 3 (-5) cm long, not fleshy; pinnae 4-10 pairs; teeth obvious, up to 10 per pinna, narrowly triangular or oblong, acute or acuminate. Peduncles 0.5-3.0 cm long. Monoecious or dioecious. Heads small, 2-3 mm diam.

Leaves up to 1.5 cm long, fleshy; pinnae 3-5 pairs; teeth inconspicuous, up to 5 per pinna, broadly triangular, obtuse. Peduncles 0.2-0.5 cm long. Dioecious. Heads minute, 1-2 mm diam.

Folia usque ad 1 cm longa, carnosa. Pinnarum 3-5 paria. Dentes usque ad 5 per pinnam, inconspicui, ad apicem rotundat. Capitula perparva, 1-2 mm diam.

A robust, luxuriant suberect perennial herb. Stems erect or later becoming decumbent, 0.2-1.2 m tall, thick, up to 6 mm diam., green, hard, subwoody at base, incompletely ringed at intervals with old leafscars and sparsely covered with short deciduous hairs; branches clustered, us. 3-4 diverging from a flowering node and the nodes immediately behind, often repeated at later nodes several times per season; leaves several clustered at the apex, older ones scattered 0.2- 3.0 cm apart. Roots not seen. Leaves simple, almost sessile, 1.5-4.0 × 0.7-1.7 cm; blade obovate, narrowing into ill-defined petiole and leafbase, tender, grass-green, glabrous to thickly and evenly covered with soft, suberect, zh deciduous hairs, midrib and principal veins evident on both surfaces, with 0-3 shallow triangular obtuse teeth on either side just below the apex. Peduncles shorter than leaves, 1-2 cm, with 0 or a few small bracts, villous. Monoecious. Heads ca. 1 cm diam.; surface hemispherical; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 10- 15 in 1-2 subequal rows, broadly elliptic, rather thick, green with 1-3 brown veins evident, sparsely pilose, with a narrow transparent scarious margin around the apex only, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets ca. 200 in 6 or more rows, ca. 2.0 mm long, almost straight, yellow-green; corolla ca. 3 times as long as wide, blunt, with equal teeth; staminate florets fewer, ca. 130. Achenes up to 1.5 × 0.7 mm, slightly compressed, chocolate-brown, striated with 2 lateral, 2-4 anterior and 2-4 posterior pale ribs, unwrinkled. Probably flowers from spring to autumn.

A creeping perennial herb forming open patches. Rhizomes on the soil surface, slender, less than 1 mm diam., brown, sparsely pilose; branches us. single at flowering nodes but sts 2-3 clustered; leaves 3-many clustered at the apex, older leaves up to 1.5 cm apart. Short shoots absent or with 1-few small leaves. Roots slender, less than 0.5 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.3-2.0 × 0.2-0.4 cm; blade 0.2-1.5 cm, oblong to obovate, coriaceous, dull green, sts with brown pigment, ± glabrous; pinnae 4-10 pairs, not overlapping, cut to rhachis, obovate; teeth us. absent, occ. 1-3, on distal margins of proximal pinnae, cut ½-2/3 across pinna, triangular, obtuse and minutely mucronate. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, longer than leaves, slender, 1-3 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, pilose. Monoecious. Heads 2-3 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre outspread; phyllaries 8-14 in 2 equal rows, suborbicular, pilose, with a wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 15-50 in 2 or more rows, ca. 1.0 mm long, straight, white; corolla twice as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets ca. equal in number. Achenes 0.85 × 0.5 mm. slightly compressed but almost round in section, pale brown, transversely wrinkled.

A woody perennial herb forming tight mats 1-3 cm thick, in patches up to ca. 1 m wide. Rhizomes packed together, ± horizontal and ascending at tips, obscured by crowded leaves; branches single or 2-3 clustered and diverging, at intervals of 0.5-3.0 cm; living leaves closely imbricate on apical ca. 0.5 cm of each stem; lower parts of stems covered with persistent dead leaves. No short shoots. Roots issuing from lower parts of stems, slender but becoming subwoody, up to 0.5 mm diam. Leaves sessile, palmately divided, curved around stem, 4-6 × 4-5mm; blade ca. 3 mm long, crescent shaped, coriaceous, dark green, with scattered short hairs; lobes us. 7, linear, subterete, in a half-circle with central lobes above shorter lateral lobes, acute to acuminate, cut to top of broad leaf base. Peduncles less or greater than leaves, up to 0.7 cm long, nude or with 1 small bract, pilose. Subdioecious? Heads not or scarcely emergent from mat surface, small, 2-4 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries in 2 subequal rows, elliptic or oblong, thin, dark-green with wide, pale ± keeled midrib, glabrous, with wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis. Pistillate plants (?) with heads with 10-15 phyllaries and 20-45 pistillate florets; florets ca. 2.25 mm long, straight, yellow-red, corolla twice as long as wide, with equal teeth. Staminate plants (?) with heads with 8-12 phyllaries, 0 or 1-8 pistillate florets and 10-35 staminate florets. Achenes up to 1.3 × 0.65 mm, ± compressed, biconvex, golden-brown shiny, scarcely wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

A small creeping perennial herb with tufts of leaves in turf. Rhizomes shallowly buried, initially dark, flexible, and sparsely pilose, becoming pale stiff and glabrous; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves spirally arranged, 1-2 at the apex, 0.5-1.0 cm apart. Short shoots grow ± upwards from the rhizome, with up to 5 tufted leaves at the apex. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.6 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.8-4.0 × 0.2-1.2 cm; blade 0.4-3.0 cm long, elliptic, coriaceous, light green, sts with brown pigment especially on proximal pinnae, glabrous; midrib sts slightly raised on ventral surface; pinna 4-10 pairs, not overlapping, cut to rhachis, elliptic; teeth us. few per pinna, up to 5 on distal margin and 3 on proximal margin, cut up to ½ across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, ca. equal to leaves, ca. 3 cm, ± villous, nude or with 1 simple bract. Monoecious. Heads 4-5 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre hemispherical, phyllaries ca. 12 in 1-2 subequal rows, broadly elliptic, dark green, ± villous, with wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets few, up to 10 in 1 incom- plete row, ca. 2.0 mm long, almost straight, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with almost equal teeth; staminate florets much more numerous, ca. 40. Achenes up to 1.3 × 0.9 mm, compressed, biconvex, golden brown, unwrinkled. Probably flowers principally in summer.

Rhizomata leviter defossa. Folia coriacea, ± glabra; pinnae non imbricatae; dentes pauci, triangulares, obtusi, plerumque in distalibus marginibus pinnarum. Monoica.

A robust but small-leaved, diffusely creeping perennial herb. Rhizomes on soil or rock surface, stout, 1-4 mm diam., covered with a thick mat of tangled woolly hairs but eventually becoming ± glabrous, brown and slightly woody; branches us. clustered, up to 4 radiating from around a flowering node, often repeated every few nodes several times per season; leaves 2-4 clustered at the apex, most 2-5 cm distant. Short shoots us. absent, occ. present as a few reduced leaves. Roots largely confined to older stems, us. slender, up to 1 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1.0-2.5 × 0.4-1.0 cm; blade 0.5-2.0 cm long, broadly elliptic, thick, subfleshy, light green, with a few woolly hairs when young, especially on rhachis, later glabrous; midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 3-5 pairs, distal ones overlapping, cut to rhachis, broadly elliptic or oblong if undivided; teeth up to 4 per pinna, on larger pinnae, mostly on distal margin, cut ca. ½ across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, longer than leaves, 1-3 cm, nude, slender but with a thick mat of woolly hairs. Monoecious. Heads 0.6-1.0 cm diam., surface hemispherical; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries ca. 30 in 2-3 subequal rows, broadly elliptic, thick and subfleshy, green with deciduous woolly hairs and a narrow us. transparent scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 50-100 in 2 or more rows, ca. 3.0 mm long, almost straight, yellow-green, corolla twice as long as wide, with equal teeth, staminate florets fewer, 70-90. Achenes up to 2.3 × 0.8 mm, not compressed, obscurely 4-angled, golden-brown, shiny, unwrinkled. Probably flowers from spring to autumn.

A very small perennial (occ. annual) herb forming loose patches or an inconspicuous low matted turf. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, slender, less than 1 mm diam., often hidden within leaves, ± villous, becoming wiry and glabrous when older; branches often difficult to discern, poorly differentiated from short shoots; leaves crowded in two rows, ± horizontal, up to 10 clustered at the apex, imbricate or older ones gradually becoming up to 4 mm apart; short shoots at most nodes, initially with a few reduced leaves in the axils of rhizome leaves, often converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots abundant, slender, up to 0.5 mm diam., white. Leaves variable, 0.2-2.5 cm long; blade up to 2.0 cm long, either 1-pinnatifid, lanceolate or oblong and up to 2 mm wide or (especially in winter) simple, linear and ca. 0.5 mm wide, thin, grass-green and glabrous to silky white and densely villous; midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 0 or 1-2 minute lobes or up to 6 pairs, distant, subequal, shorter than the terminal lobe, linear, narrower than the rhachis, without teeth. Peduncles very short, less than 1 mm long, nude. Monoecious. Heads almost sessile, small, 2-3 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre campanulate; phyllaries ca. 10 in 1-2 subequal rows, oblong, rather thin, green villous, with wide brown or reddish scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 15-20 in 1-2 rows, ca. 2.0 mm long, straight, pale yellow and red-tipped; corolla four times as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets ca. equal in number. Achenes up to 1.0 × 0.3 mm, slightly compressed, biconvex, green turning chocolate brown, unwrinkled and soft. Rowers in summer.

A soft creeping perennial herb forming loose patches or part of a turf. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, green or dark, flexible, sparsely villous; branches usually single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at the apex, 0.5-2.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with up to 6 clustered leaves, occ. converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots numerous, slender, up to 0.4 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1-4 × 0.4-1.5 cm; blade up to 3.5 cm long, obovate, membranous, bright green, often with the proximal pinnae especially covered with brown pigment, glabrous; midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 6-10 pairs, not or scarcely overlapping, cut to rhachis, broadly elliptic to suborbicular; teeth numerous, us. on all pinnae, up to 12 per pinna, extending completely around the margin or lacking on the proximal side, cut ca. 1/3 across pinna, narrowly triangular to oblong, acute or mucronate, larger ones sts themselves with 1 or 2 teeth. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, ca. equal to leaves, 0.5-1.5 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, sparsely pilose. Monoecious. Heads 2-6 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre upcurved to flat; phyllaries 8-12 in 2 subequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, glabrous, with broad red-brown scarious margins, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 20-45 in 2 or more rows, ca. 1.5 mm long, exceeding phyllaries, slightly curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with almost equal teeth; staminate florets fewer, 10-15. Achenes up to 1.3 × 0.6 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring.

A creeping perennial herb forming open patches. Rhizomes on the soil surface, slender to stout, 0.5-2.0 mm diam.; branches produced earlier in season clustered, up to ca. 5 radiating from around a flowering node; branches produced later in season us. single at flowering nodes. Leaves 3-many clustered at the apex, under better conditions older leaves up to 2 cm apart. Short shoots absent or with 1-few small leaves. Roots ± thick, 0.5-1.0 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1-5 × 0.3-1.0 cm; blade 0.3-4.0 cm, obovate, coriaceous, dull green, usually with brown pigment on proximal pinnae, ± glabrous; pinnae 5-12 pairs, not overlapping, cut to rhachis, obovate, teeth 0 or up to 7 per pinna, us. restricted to proximal pinnae, on distal margins, cut ½-2/3 across pinna, oblong, obtuse and minutely mucronate. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, equal to or longer than leaves, slender, 2-5 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, pilose. Monoecious. Heads 4-6 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre outspread; phyllaries 15-20 in 2 equal rows, suborbicular, pilose, with a wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 70-130 in 2 or more rows, ca. 1.75 mm long, straight, white; corolla twice as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets ca. equal in number. Achenes ca. 1.0 × 0.5 mm, slightly compressed but almost round in section, pale brown, transversely wrinkled. Chromosome number, n=26. Flowers through the spring and summer and at a reduced rate in autumn and occ. winter.

A very small, frequently branching, creeping perennial herb forming small diffuse patches. Rhizomes on the soil surface, very slender, less than 0.5 mm diam., green, soft, sparsely pilose; branches common, at the frequent flowering nodes and sts also at 1-3 nodes immediately behind; leaves 1-several at the apex but mostly distant, 0.5-1.0 cm apart. Short shoots variable, occ. few but us. at most rhizome nodes, often converted into rhizomes. Roots very slender and weak, up to 0.3 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.4-2.0 × 0.2-0.4 cm; blade 0.3-1.5 cm, obovate or narrowly so, thin, green, without brown pigment, glabrous or sparsely pilose, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 6-10 pairs, distal ones close-set or overlapping and cut ca. 2/3 to rhachis, proximal ones distant and cut to rhachis, oblong or obovate, obtuse and minutely mucronate; teeth 0-3, on distal margins of proximal pinnae, cut up to ½ across pinna, narrow, acute. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, us. shorter than leaves, 0.3-1.0 cm, nude, pilose, erect at anthesis, sts later bending 180° to bury the fruiting head among leaves. Monoecious. Heads minute, 1.5-2.0 mm wide; surface convex; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries ca. 20 in 2 subequal rows, oblong or obovate red-green, sparsely villous, with a wide sts brown-tipped scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 20-40 in ca. 2 rows, ca. 1.0 mm long, straight, green; corolla equal in length and width, with equal very shallow teeth; staminate florets fewer, 5-7. Achenes up to 1.0 × 0.5 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round, green-brown, shallowly wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

Perpusilla, diffuse repens. Rhizomata tenuia, minus quam 0.5 mm diam. Folia 0.4-2.0 cm × 2-4 mm; pinnarum 5-10 paria, distales pinnae confertae vel imbricatae et versus rhachim non plus quam circa 2/3 incisae, proximales distantiores et ad rhachim incisae. Capitula perparva, viridia.

A highly variable creeping perennial herb forming loose patches on open ground or dense mats in closed herbfields. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, rather stout, up to 2 mm diam., dark, densely villous at least when young; branches in clusters of up to 4 radiating from around a flowering node or solitary at flowering nodes if internodes are long; leaves initially clustered at apex, sts remaining crowded, us. older ones becoming up to 2.0 cm apart. No short shoots. Roots often extensive and much-branched, stout, up to 1 mm diam. Leaves 1- pinnatifid, occ. simple, 0.7-4.0 × 0.2-1.0 cm; blade 0.5-3.0 cm, elliptic or obovate, coriaceous, silky green and densely villous to dark green and glabrous, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 1-10 pairs, occ. absent, close-set in exposed habitats but us. distant, cut to rhachis, oblong, obovate or linear, obtuse, teeth often 0 sts 1-3 pinna, mostly on proximal margin, cut ca. \ across pinna, triangular, obtuse. Peduncles longer than leaves, 1-10 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, sparsely to densely villous. Monoecious. Heads 4-8 mm diam.; involucre subcampanulate; phyllaries 12-24 in 2 or more subequal rows, oblong, dark green or grey-green, with 1-3 dark veins sts obscured by sparse to dense hairs, with wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 12-200 in 1-several rows, 2.25-2.75 mm long, straight, white or pale yellow-red, often with 1-2 dark stripes along corolla and ovary; corolla 1½—3 times as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets more numerous. Achenes up to 2.1 × 0.7 mm, ± compressed, biconvex, golden-brown, scarcely or deeply wrinkled Flowers in summer.

Plant forming loose patches or tight mats. Branches occ. solitary, usually in clusters of up to 4. Leaves clustered at the apex or older ones scattered along the rhizome; blade up to 3.0 cm long, elliptic or obovate, occ. broadly so; pinnae 1-10 pairs, occ. absent, linear and ± cylindrical to flat and narrowly obovate. Leaves, peduncles and phyllaries almost glabrous to moderately villous. Florets white, 2.25- 2.75 mm long. Achenes up to 2.1 × 0.7 mm.

Leaves, peduncles and phyllaries occ. glabrous, us. moderately to densely villous. Florets yellow to yellow-red. Chromosome numbers, n = 26, 52. Otherwise as in subsp. pectinata.

Plant usually laxer than other subsp., in diffuse irregular patches. Branches us. solitary at flowering nodes. Leaves us. scattered along rhizome; blade up to 1.0 cm long, broadly elliptic; pinnae 1-5 pairs, flat, oblong to obovate. Leaves glabrous, peduncle and phyllaries sparsely pilose. Florets yellow to yellow-red, ca. 2.75 mm long. Achenes up to 2.3 × 1.0 mm.

A small perennial herb with tufts of leaves in grassland turfs. Rhizomes us. well-buried, pale, wiry and glabrous; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves spirally arranged reduced scales lacking blade and petiole, 0.5-2.0 cm apart. Short shoots growing upwards from the rhizome, with 4-8 tufted leaves at the apex. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.5 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1-6 × 0.3-1.0 cm; blade 0.5-3.0 cm long, lanceolate to obovate, submembranous, light green but often proximal or all pinnae covered with brown pigment, us. moderately villous but glabrous to densely villous, midrib raised along most of ventral surface; pinnae 8-15 pairs, distant to overlapping, cut to rhachis, oblong or obovate; teeth absent or up to 8 per pinna, on distal margins, not obscured by hairs, cut ¼—½ across pinna, narrowly triangular, acute to acuminate, sts with a terminal tuft of hairs. Peduncles ca. equal to leaves, 1-3 cm, nude or occ. with 1 simple bract, villous. Dioecious. Pistillate heads 2-4 mm, up to 8 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 15-30 in 3 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, ± villous, with a broad often brown-tipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose the subglobose fruiting head; florets 25-80, ca. 2.0 mm long, curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 3-5 mm diam.; involucre hemispherical, phyllaries 5-10 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Achenes up to 1.6 × 1.0 mm, slightly compressed in section, almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring.

A highly plastic, shortly creeping perennial herb. Rhizomes on soil surface, us. very thick, up to 1 cm diam., green, hard, glabrous to thinly but uniformly covered with tangled woolly hairs; branches single or clustered around flowering nodes, sts repeated several nodes later; leaves 4-8 tufted at the apex, older ones scattered up to 4 cm apart. Short shoots us. absent. Roots largely confined to older stems, up to 1 mm diam. Leaves very variable in size and divisions, 1-2 pinnatifid, 5-20 × 1-6 cm; blade 4-12 cm long, elliptic or broadly so, soft, light green, glabrous to moderately villous especially along rhachis, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 5-20 pairs, slightly overlapping, cut to rhachis, elliptic; secondary pinnae up to 13 per pinna, most on distal margin, cut to rhachis, simple and narrowly triangular or divided and elliptic; tertiary pinnae 0-6, mostly on outer margin of secondary pinnae, oblong or narrowly triangular; final divisions acute. Peduncles shorter than leaves, 6-12 cm, nude or with one simple or scarcely divided bract, with dense deciduous woolly hairs. Monoecious. Heads ca. 1 cm diam.; surface hemispherical; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries ca. 20 in 2 subequal rows, oblong or elliptic, thick, green, ± hairy when young, with a wide brown scarious margin (or tip only), not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 90-260 in 3-6 rows, ca. 2.75 mm long, almost straight, yellow-green; corolla twice as long as wide, with equal teeth; staminate florets fewer or equal. Achenes up to 1.9 × 0.8 mm, not compressed, obscurely 4-angled, golden-brown, with a few shallow wrinkles. Probably flowers from spring to autumn.

A diffusely creeping perennial herb. Rhizomes on soil surface, rather thick, pale, sparsely pilose; branches usually single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at apex, 0.5-4.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with clustered leaves, sts converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.5 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 2-12 × 0.4-2.5 cm; blade 1-8 cm, obovate, subfleshy, yellow-green, without brown pigment, glabrous or almost so, midrib slightly raised on proximal part of ventral surface: pinnae 6-15 pairs, not overlapping, cut to rhachis or distalmost sinuses not quite reaching rhachis in larger leaves, elliptic; teeth on most pinnae, up to 12 per pinna, almost equally on distal and proximal margins, cut ca. ¼ across pinna, triangular, obtuse or acute, occ. themselves with 1-2 teeth. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, us. longer than leaves, 2-7 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, sparsely pilose. Monoecious. Heads 5-8 mm diam., surface hemispherical to steeply convex; involucre flat or spreading; phyllaries 15-30 in 2 or more subequal rows, elliptic to oblong, green, almost glabrous, with a narrow transparent scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; pistillate florets 60-200 in 4-6 rows, ca. 2.0 mm long, slightly curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth; staminate florets more numerous. Achenes up to 1.5 × 0.8 mm, slightly compressed, almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring and summer.

A creeping perennial herb forming ± discrete patches us. less than 1 m wide. Rhizomes on the soil surface or intertangled and lying on old decaying rhizomes, stout, 1-3 mm diam., dark and sparsely pilose, becoming woody and glabrous; branches us, clustered, up to 6 radiating from around a flowering node; leaves clustered at apex, but under better conditions older leaves up to 3 cm apart. No short shoots. Roots ± extensive and stout, up to 20 cm long and 1 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, occ. simple, 0.5-4.0 × 0.3-1.0 cm (only ca. 1 mm wide if simple); blade 0.4-1.5 cm long, elliptic to obovate or broadly so, coriaceous, thick, dark green, glabrous, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 1-5 pairs, distant, cut to midrib, obovate, obtuse; teeth us. 0, occ. 1 on either side of larger pinnae, cut 1/3—½ across pinna, triangular. Peduncles longer than leaves, 2-12 cm, us. with 1-8 evenly spaced small linear bracts, occ. nude, sparsely pilose. Occ. monoecious, us. subdioecious with pistillate, staminate and bisexual heads common. Pistillate heads 0.5-1.5 cm diam.; surface flat or slightly convex; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 20-110 in 2 or more subequal rows, oblong, dark green, with a single dark vein ± evident, glabrous, with wide brown scarious margin, not growing after anthesis; florets 50-300 in numerous rows, 2.75-4.0 mm long, straight, white; corolla 2-4 times as long as wide, with equal teeth. Staminate heads larger, 0.5-1.8 cm diam.; surface convex; involucre spreading or flat; phyllaries 10-60; florets us. fewer, 40-300, occ. with a dark stripe down the broader part of the corolla. Bisexual heads intermediate; in subdioecious populations with all possible percentages of pistillate and staminate florets; in monoecious populations with 15-60 pistillate florets surrounding 50-90 staminate florets. Achenes up to 2.3 × 1.0 mm. ± compressed, biconvex, golden-brown or dark brown, scarcely wrinkled. Flowers in summer.

Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.5-4.0 × 0.3-1.0 cm, elliptic to obovate or broadly so; pinnae 1-4 pairs, up to 5 mm long, distant, obovate. Achenes golden-brown.

Leaves us. simple, entire, linear, 0.5-2.5 cm × 1 mm, occ. with a single oblong lobe up to 2 mm long near apex on one or both sides. Achenes dark brown.

A creeping perennial herb forming a loose turf. Rhizomes on soil surface, rather slender, green or dark, flexible, sparsely villous; branches uncommon, usually single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at the apex, 1-3 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with us. only 3 or 4 leaves but often converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.6 mm diam. Leaves simple, 1-5 × 0.5-1.5 cm; blade 0.5-1.5 cm long, suborbicular, membranous, yellow-green, without brown pigment, sparsely but evenly covered with long hairs, with a cuneate base and rounded apex, veins not evident on ventral surface, crenate; teeth 9-15 per pinna, around the distal ½ - 2/3 of blade, shallow, broadly triangular, mucronate. Peduncles borne on rhizomes, longer than leaves, 2-6 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, villous. Monoecious, each plant with a mixture of staminate and bisexual heads. Heads 5-7 mm diam.; surface convex; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 6-12 in 1-2 subequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, villous, with a broad, sts brown-tipped, scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow a little after anthesis to incompletely enclose the head; pistillate florets often 0, us. less than 5 but up to 12, in 1 incomplete row, ca. 2.0 mm long, slightly curved, yellowgreen; corolla equal in length and width, with unequal teeth; staminate florets much more numerous, 40-90. Achenes up to 1.9 × 1.1 mm, not or slightly compressed, in section ± round, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in summer.

A small perennial herb with tufts of leaves in grassland turfs. Rhizomes us. well-buried, pale, wiry, and glabrous; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves spirally-arranged, reduced scales lacking a blade and petiole, 0.5-1.5 cm apart. Short shoots, growing upwards from the rhizome, with 3-6 tufted leaves at the apex. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.4 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.7- 2.0 × 0.2-0.6 cm; blade 0.6-2.0 cm, elliptic or obovate, submembranous, green, or glaucous, older leaves often diffusely covered with brown pigment, moderately to densely silver-hairy, midrib raised along most of vertical surface but sts obscured by hairs; pinnae 8-20 pairs, closeset and us. overlapping, cut to rhachis, broadly obovate; teeth on all or most pinnae, up to 6 per pinna, on distal margins, cut ca. ½ across pinna, close-set, oblong, obtuse, sts obscured by hairs. Peduncles us. borne on short shoots, ca. equal to leaves, 1-3 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, villous. Dioecious. Pistillate heads 2-4 mm, up to 8 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 20-40 in 3 or more unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, villous, with wide often brown-tipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose subglobose fruiting head; florets 30-95, ca. 2.0 mm long, curved, yellow-green, corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 3-5 mm diam.; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 8-15 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Achenes up to 1.4 × 0.8 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring.

Rhizomata subterranea, pallida, rigidula. Folia imbricata, viva ad apices caulium determinatorum, flexibilia, viridia vel glauca, folia matura plerumque rubiginoso pigmento ubique suffusa; pinnae ± imbricatae; dentes usque ad 6 oblongi, obtusi, conferti, plerumque pilis obscurati. Dioica.

A creeping, rapid-growing perennial herb, us. intermingled with other species in a turf, sts in patches colonising sand. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, green or dark, flexible, pilose, becoming pale, wiry and glabrous if buried; branches us. single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at the apex, 0.5-3.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of the rhizome, with 3-8 clustered leaves, under favourable conditions converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.8 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 0.5-10.0 × 0.3-2.0 cm; blade; 0.4-6.0 cm, elliptic or obovate, membranous (fleshy on coastal cliffs), bright green and often with brown pigment especially on proximal pinnae, us. sparsely pilose but glabrous to moderately pilose, midrib raised along most of ventral surface; pinnae 6-20 pairs, oblong to elliptic, often falcate, either all equidistant, not overlapping and cut to rhachis or (in subsp. squalida) distal pinnae closer and overlapping and not quite cut to rhachis; teeth us. present on larger pinnae at least, up to 10 per pinna, on distal margins, cut 1/3—2/3 across pinna, oblong, acute or acuminate. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, longer than leaves, 1-6 cm, nude or with 1 simple bract, sparsely pilose. Dioecious. Pistillate heads 3-5 mm, ca. 10 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 15-40 in 3 or more subequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, ± villous, with a broad brown-tipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose subglobose fruiting head; florets 15—70, ca. 2.25 mm long, curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 4-7 mm diam.; involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 5-10 in 1-2 rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Achenes up to 1.9 × 0.9 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers in spring and summer.

Leaves membranous or fleshy; larger pinnae suborbicular to obovate, often ca. equal in length and width; distal pinnae not cut to rhachis, closer togther and at a narrower angle to the rhachis than the middle pinnae and often overlapping; middle and proximal pinnae cut to rhachis, distant.

Leaves membranous; pinnae oblong or elliptic, length greater than width, all equidistant along the blade, at a wide angle to the blade and cut to the rhachis.

Pinnae oblongae vel ellipticae, quasi aequidistantes per laminam, sinus omnes ad rhachim incisi.

A creeping perennial herb forming a loosely matted turf. Rhizomes at or near soil surface, green or dark, flexible, villous; branches uncommon, us. single at flowering nodes; leaves in two rows, single at apex, 0.5-2.0 cm apart. Short shoots alternate on both sides of rhizome, with up to 6 clustered leaves, rarely converted into rhizomes with distant leaves. Roots slender and weak, up to 0.6 mm diam. Leaves 1-pinnatifid, 1-5 × 0.4-1.0 cm; blade 1-4 cm, obovate, ± coriaceous, dark green usually with brown pigment over proximal or all pinnae, sparsely villous; midrib slightly raised on proximal part of ventral surface; pinnae 4-10 pairs, equidistant, not overlapping, cut to rhachis, oblong to orbicular; teeth few or up to 10 per pinna, confined to outer margin or extending around distal margin as well, cut 1/6—½ across pinna, triangular, acuminate with a sharp pale sts deciduous point ± obscured by a tuft of parallel hairs. Peduncles us. borne on rhizomes, ca. equal to leaves, 1-4 cm, nude or with one simple bract, pilose. Dioecious. Pistillate heads 3-5 mm diam., up to 10 mm in fruit; surface convex; involucre urceolate; phyllaries 15-20 in ca. 3 unequal rows, broadly elliptic, green, without evident veins, ± villous, with a broad transparent brown-tipped scarious margin; inner phyllaries grow after anthesis to enclose the subglobose fruiting head; florets 20-70, ca. 2-5 mm long, curved, yellow-green; corolla slightly longer than wide, with unequal teeth. Staminate heads 4-6 mm diam., involucre hemispherical; phyllaries 5-10 in 1-2 subequal rows, not growing after anthesis; florets slightly more numerous. Achenes up to 1.9 × 1.0 mm, slightly compressed, in cross-section almost round or irregularly angled, with a pale unwrinkled papery surface turning brown and smooth. Flowers predominantly in spring.

Leaves coriaceous, thick, dotted with glands, dark green, with brown pigment on all or only proximal pinnae; pinnae broadly obovate to suborbicular, width almost or ca. equal to length, with up to 12 small, closely-spaced, narrowly triangular teeth on distal and outer margins.

Leaves less coriaceous, thinner and not us. dotted with glands, lighter green, with brown pigment only on proximal pinnae; pinnae oblong to broadly ovate, width less than length, with up to 4 (rarely to 10) more distant broadly triangular teeth confined to the outer margin or occ. extending onto distal margin.

Perennial or rarely facultatively annual, prostrate or rarely suberect. Peduncle axillary, nude or with 1-several reduced bracts. Heads either bisexual with any proportion of pistillate and staminate florets or unisexual or both. Corolla of pistillate florets present, evident, tubular, conical to cylindric, sts compressed, persistent or deciduous, ca. as wide as ovary at anthesis, jointed with ovary, inflated with a hollow space between the outer surface and an inner layer closely surrounding the style. Disk florets seed-sterile, functionally staminate; ovary reduced but evident and demarcated from corolla; style apex an undivided, circular, slightly concave disc. Achene thick, not flat, convex on the dorsal surface at least, not winged but with an obvious or obscure margin, lacking blunt columnar uniseriate hairs on the dorsal and ventral surfaces, rarely with tapering uniseriate hairs on the margins. Chromosome number, x=13 (n = 26, 52 and ca. 78, 104, 130 and 156).