Herbs annual; taproot thin. Stems arising from the root, prostrate to spreading or erect, glabrous to glandular or lanate. Leaves persistent through anthesis, essentially basal, rosulate; petiole indistinct; blade linear to spatulate, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, cymose; branches mostly dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, glabrous or sparsely lanate, sometimes glandular, secondary branches sometimes developing tardily; bracts 3, connate basally, triangular to obovate, leaflike or scalelike, not awned, glabrous or glandular. Peduncles erect, slender, or absent. Involucral bracts obscure to obvious, in tight spiral, linear to lanceolate or narrowly ovate, not awn-tipped. Flowers 5-30 per involucre, sessile or pedicellate; perianth white to rose, campanulate when open, narrowly urceolate when closed, glabrous or with gland-tipped hairs; tepals 6, connate proximally, slightly dimorphic, entire; stamens 3; filaments basally adnate, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oval. Achenes mostly included, brown to deep maroon or black, not winged, 3-gonous, glabrous. Seeds: embryo curved.
Home