Annuals or perennials [subshrubs, shrubs, or trees]. Leaves basal and/or cauline (basal often withering before flowering); alternate [opposite]; petiolate or sessile; margins entire or dentate to serrate [pinnately divided]. Heads heterogamous (radiate [disciform]) [homogamous (discoid)], usually in corymbiform, paniculiform, or racemiform arrays, sometimes borne singly (on ± leafy stems). Calyculi 0. Phyllaries persistent [falling], in (2–)3–7+ series, distinct, unequal to subequal, herbaceous to chartaceous or membranous, margins and/or apices usually scarious. Receptacles flat to convex [concave], epaleate [paleate]. Ray florets [0] in 1(–2+) series, pistillate and fertile [neuter]; corollas usually yellow, sometimes reddish [ochroleucous or purplish] (laminae often linear). Disc florets bisexual, fertile; corollas usually yellow, sometimes reddish [ochroleucous or purplish], not 2-lipped, lobes (4–)5, usually ± deltate; anther bases ± tailed, apical appendages ovate to lance-ovate or linear; styles abaxially glabrous or papillate (distally), branches ± linear, adaxially stigmatic in 2 lines from bases to apices (lines often confluent distally), apices rounded to truncate, appendages essentially none. Cypselae usually monomorphic within heads, usually ellipsoid or columnar to prismatic [compressed or obcompressed], not beaked (sometimes abruptly constricted at each end), bodies often ribbed (glabrous or hairy, often glandular, hairs not myxogenic); pappi persistent (fragile), of ± barbellate [plumose] scales (sometimes setiform or aristate) and/or bristles.

Distribution

Introduced; Old World, especially Eurasia and n Africa, some species widely introduced and established in local floras.

Discussion

Genera ca. 40, species ca. 500 (3 genera, 5 species in the flora).

Following A. A. Anderberg (1994) and others, some 180 genera and 2000 species have been segregated from traditionally circumscribed Inuleae as Gnaphalieae, and another 25+ genera and 200+ species as Plucheeae.

Selected References

Anderberg, A. A. 1994. Tribe Inuleae. In: K. Bremer. 1994. Asteraceae: Cladistics & Classification. Portland. Pp. 273–291.

Arriagada, J. E. 1998. The genera of Inuleae (Compositae: Asteraceae) in the southeastern United States. Harvard Pap. Bot. 3: 1–48.

Lower Taxa

Dittrichia, Inula, Pulicaria

Key

1	Pappi of outer, ± connate, ± erose scales in 1 series and inner, distinct bristles in 1 series.	Pulicaria
1	Pappi of distinct or basally connate bristles and/or setiform-scales in 1 series	> 2
2	Annuals (pilosulous to hispid and stipitate-glandular, viscid); involucres 3–8 mm diam.; laminae of ray corollas 2–5(–7) mm	Dittrichia
2	Perennials; involucres 10–40 mm diam.; laminae of ray corollas 10–30+ mm	Inula