Fls solitary to paniculately arrayed, perfect, regular, hypog. Sepals 3-5, deciduous or caducous; petals (0)-5-25 or more, yellow or white, with 1 or more nectary glands; stamens us. ∞; carpels in heads, us. ∞, with basal ovule; fr. of achenes. Annual to perennial herbs; lvs us. exstipulate, mostly radical, often variously lobed or dissected. Over 300 spp., chiefly of temperate regions. Of the N.Z. spp. forms of , and occur in Australia and Tasmania; of in Tasmania and Chile. has a wide range in austral regions.

2n = 48

2n = 32

Perennial, sometimes annual, terrestrial or aquatic herbs; roots fibrous or swollen, sometimes arising from a stout or bulbous rootstock. Lvs usually alternate, rarely opposite, basal and cauline, simple or variously divided to 2-pinnatisect. Fls solitary or in lax leafy cymes; involucre 0. Sepals green, (3)-5-(7). Petals (0)-5-(12 or more), usually yellow, sometimes white, brown or reddish; nectaries near base of petal, 1-(3), pit-like, covered by a scale or naked. Stamens few to many, spiralled. Carpels few to many, with 1 ovule. Achenes few to many; style neither greatly elongated nor feathery. Receptacle glabrous or hairy, globular or cylindric.