Herbs, perennial [annual], often densely cespitose, rosulate [caulescent]. Roots appearing unbranched, pale, not septate, thickened, spongy. Stems simple [branched], short [to very elongate]. Leaves spreading in flat spiral in rosettes [spreading to erect in high spiral]; blade mostly slender, linear, not evidently lacunate [lacunate], base pale. Inflorescences: scape sheaths narrowly tubular, orifice diagonal, surfaces tomentose to scattered pilosulous, glandular-hairy [glabrous]; scapes 1–several per stem, slender, terete [compressed], pubescent [glabrous to variously pubescent], at least some hairs swollen basally, often glandular distally; mature heads white [dark], hemispheric to globose [turbinate, urceolate]; receptacle pale, pilose with sharp hairs; involucral bracts spreading to ascending, mostly not obscured by expanding flowers, spirally imbricate, pale [brown or black], often gradate, chaffy-papery; receptacular bracts absent [few or reduced]. Flowers with staminate and pistillate on same plants [staminate and pistillate on different plants], 3-merous [2-merous]. Staminate flowers: sepals 3, nearly distinct, plane or concave, chaffy, often with tapering, acute hairs; androphore club-shaped or funnelform; petals 3, connate at apex of androphore, narrowly campanulate, 3-lobed, lobes low-triangular [to variously elongate]; stamens 3, low in corolla tube alternating with 3 sessile glands at base of tube; filaments low in corolla tube (at disc, midway), alternating with glands; anthers 2-locular, locules divergent, [2–]4-sporangiate, dorsifixed, exserted, yellowish or white. Pistillate flowers: gynophore short; sepals distinct [connate], papery; petals connate, conniving or connate over ovary; pistil 3-carpellate; style1; style branches 3, undivided.

Distribution

Mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, West Indies, Central America, and South America, the primary center in the planalto of Brazil.

Discussion

Species ca. 200 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Syngonanthus flavidulus