Capitula discoid, heterogamous to homogamous, on short or long, stout or slender ebracteate or bracteate scapes (plants sts dioec.). Phyll. in 1 to several series, imbricate; margins or whole lamina often scarious, often purple-tinged, sts erose, occ. incurved and ± concealing florets. Receptacle nude, flat to convex or conical. ♀forming a marginal band in 1 or 2 series, occ. more, sts with 1 or a few perfect florets. Disk-florets us. ∞, perfect or functionally ♂; anthers obtuse at base; style-arms truncate to obtuse. Achenes ± compressed, sts curved, often plano-convex, weakly to strongly ribbed, sts winged, sts stipitate. Pappus 0. Tufted to creeping perennial herbs, rarely annual or biennial, ± glandular and aromatic with alt. to fascicled lvs. Lamina imparipinnately pinnate to pinnatisect or pinnatifid, rarely entire or nearly so. Some 60 spp.; the genus widespread, the subgenus Leptinella apparently confined to N.Z., Australia, Tasmania, Kerguelen, Marion and Crozet Is and Fuegia. Of the ± 24 spp. of N.Z. 21 are endemic.

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