Description:

• Herbs or subshrubs, cano-tomentose to glabrate
• Leaves alternate, sometimes radical, often broad and incised-toothed or variably pinnatisect, rarely entire, petiolate, sometimes auriculate, palmately veined
• Capitula radiate, rarely discoid, in lax corymbs
• Involucre campanulate, calyculate; bracts in 1 row, linear, sometimes with membranous margin
• Receptacle flat, epaleate
• Ray florets female; corolla yellow; tube cylindric, slightly to two and a half times shorter than lamina; lamina 3-toothed
• Disc florets bisexual, fertile, rarely some functionally male; corolla tubular below, widened or narrowly campanulate above, glabrous; lobes 5, ovate
• Anthers ecalcarate and ecaudate or faintly sagittate; with ovate-oblong, apical appendage; endothecial tissue radial
• Style terete; branches truncate, penicillate, tipped with minute cone
• Cypselas obovate, compressed, black or brown, margins thickened or winged, glabrous or ciliate
• Pappus of several delicate, scabrid bristles, soon caducous
• x = 9, 10 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Cineraria L.
  • Linnaeus: 1242 (1763)
  • Linnaeus: 426 (1764)
  • Harvey: 307 (1865)
  • Merxmüller: 41 (1967)
  • Hilliard: 372 (1977)
  • Bremer: 499 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 50, Africa and Madagascar
• Southern Africa: Species 37, widespread but absent from Botswana