Flora of New Zealand Series

Type sp.: H. orientale Gaertn.

Capitula peduncled, solitary or in subsessile corymbs, heterogamous or occ. homogamous by absence of pistillate florets. Phyll. in several series, inner rows often enlarged, petal-like, forming a pseudo-ray. Receptacle flat to convex, sts alveolate. Outer florets pistillate, filiform, few or absent. Disk-florets perfect, ∞, tubular. Anthers sagittate at base, cells produced into filiform tails. Style-arms of disk-florets subterete, truncate or subcapitate at tips. Pappus in one series of slender simple hairs, sts barbellate to plumose at tips. Achenes small, subterete or angled or compressed. Herbs or shrubs, us. ± tomentose, with alt. to subopp. entire lvs. About 350 spp. of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, N.Z. The N.Z. spp. are endemic.

Flowering occurs from October to January or occ. as late as March, and fruiting soon afterwards.