Greek leukos — white, anthemom — flower, an allusion to the often white ray florets.
Perennial or annual herbs with red-tipped roots, glabrous to hairy. Stems erect or ascending, simple or branched. Leaves basal and along stems, alternate, margins entire to lobed, sessile to long-petiolate. Capitula radiate or diskoid, terminal, solitary or in lax corymbs, with stalks. Involucral bracts in 2 or 3 rows, overlapping, unequal. Receptacle convex to conical. Ray florets female, usually ligulate, white, pink or rarely yellow. Disk florets bisexual, tubular, usually yellow.achenes cylindrical,10-ribbed. Pappus a short crown, an ear-like lobe or absent.
Two species have become naturalised in Australia.
Often large capitula with white ray florets; prominently 10-ribbed achenes.
About 33 species from Europe and North Africa.
Source: (2002). Dahlia. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.