Heads discoid, the fls all tubular and perfect; invol bracts striate, obviously imbricate, the outer several series generally much shorter or differently shaped (or both) than the only slightly unequal inner ones, thus somewhat calyculate; receptacle flat or nearly so, naked; cor creamy white to dull yellow or red; anthers tending to separate by the time of anthesis; style-branches papillate, elongate, linear-clavate, rounded-obtuse, with inconspicuous, short, ventromarginal stigmatic lines near the base; achenes 10-ribbed; pappus of 10, 15, or 20 uniseriate, equal, plumose bristles; perennial herbs from a stout taproot, with opposite or more often subopposite or unevenly alternate lvs and solitary to numerous, subcylindric to campanulate, medium-sized heads. 3, Mex., U.S. Kuhnia L. (1763) is sometimes included in Brickellia Elliott (1823), because Brickellia is conserved against Kuhnia, if they are considered to be congeneric. Brickellia has merely barbellate pappus-bristles.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.