Flora of New Zealand Series

Annual or perennial herbs, initially taprooted and often rooting at nodes. Lvs simple, entire to 1-2-pinnatisect, opposite or alternate. Capitula terminal, pedunculate; involucral bracts in (1)-2-3 rows, with membranous margins. Receptacle flat to hemispheric; scales 0. Outer florets ♀, in < 1 or 1-several rows; corolla much reduced or 0. Inner florets usually ⚥, rarely ♂; corolla tubular or flattened, some outer florets rarely appearing ligulate. Achenes dimorphic: those of ♀ florets broadly winged; those of ⚥ florets ribbed; pappus 0.

c. 48 spp., mostly in South Africa, also C. and N. Africa, Australasia, Asia, C. and S. America. Native spp. 2, naturalised 2.

Sect. Leptinella (Cass.) Hook. f., which contains most of the native spp., is distinguished from the remainder of Cotula by the basic chromosome number, x = 13 rather than 8 or 18, and the evident, inflated corolla of ♀ florets, and is therefore treated here at generic rank as Leptinella Cass. [Lloyd, D. G. and Webb, C. J., New Zealand J. Bot. 25 : 99-105 (1987)].