Herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves usually cauline, sometimes mostly basal; alternate; petiolate or sessile; margins entire or denticulate to serrate or dentate [1–2-pinnately divided]. Heads heterogamous (usually disciform, rarely obscurely radiate), usually in corymbiform, paniculiform, or spiciform arrays, sometimes borne singly (on scapiform stems in Sachsia). Calyculi 0. Phyllaries persistent or falling, (12–30+) in 3–6+ series, distinct, unequal, usually ± herbaceous to chartaceous, sometimes indurate, margins and/or apices seldom notably scarious. Receptacles flat to convex, epaleate [paleate]. Ray florets 0 (whitish corollas of peripheral pistillate florets sometimes with minute, 3-toothed laminae in Sachsia) [in 1(–2+) series, pistillate and fertile or neuter]. Peripheral (pistillate) florets [0] (in disciform heads) in 1–10+ series; corollas (usually present) usually pink to purplish, sometimes whitish or ochroleucous, rarely yellowish. Disc (inner) florets bisexual or functionally staminate; corollas usually pink to purplish, sometimes whitish or ochroleucous, rarely yellowish, not 2-lipped, lobes (4–)5, deltate; anther bases ± tailed, apical appendages ovate to lance-ovate or linear; styles abaxially papillate or hairy (sweeping hairs usually obtuse, usually present from proximal to the separation of the branches to near the tips), branches linear, adaxially stigmatic in 2 lines from bases to apices (lines ± confluent distally), apices obtuse to rounded, appendages essentially none. Cypselae mostly monomorphic within heads, usually columnar, cylindric, ellipsoid, or fusiform, sometimes ± prismatic, sometimes compressed or flattened, not beaked, bodies smooth or ribbed (glabrous or ± hirsutulous, hairs straight-tipped, uncinate, or glochidiform, faces sometimes glandular as well); pappi [sometimes 0] persistent or tardily falling, usually of smooth to barbellate [plumose] bristles or setiform scales (in 1–2 series).

Distribution

Mostly tropical and subtropical areas of Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, some species are widely introduced and established in local floras.

Discussion

Genera ca. 27, species ca. 219 (3 genera, 12 species in the flora).

Plucheeae were segregated from traditionally circumscribed Inuleae by Anderberg in 1989 (see discussion in A. A. Anderberg 1994b).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Pluchea, Pterocaulon, Sachsia

Key

1	Stems winged; heads in spiciform arrays	Pterocaulon
1	Stems seldom winged (see Pluchea sagittalis); heads usually in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays, rarely borne singly	> 2
2	Leaves all or mostly basal	Sachsia
2	Leaves all or mostly cauline	Pluchea