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Flowers in dense heads 3–15 cm diameter, surrounded by a conspicuous involucre of bracts; bracts spirally arranged and forming several overlapping series, grading from very small in the outer series to elongate and almost equalling to exceeding the flowers in the inner series, sometimes brightly coloured, glabrous to tomentose; involucral receptacle flat to conical.
Ovary scarcely differentiated from the base of the style, clothed with long stiff brown hairs exceeding itself in length, with a single ovule; style not flattened, glabrous or rarely hairy at the base, terminated by a linear pollen-presenter.
Perianth abaxial segment separating completely from the 3 adaxial segments which remain fused for ± their entire length.
Leaves linear to suborbicular, sessile to petiolate, entire, usually rather coriaceous, glabrous to tomentose.
Fruit an obconic achene, with the long straight brown hairs persistent.
Trees up to 10 m high, or shrubs, or erect or prostrate suffrutices.
