They are annual or perennial herbs, rarely becoming shrubby, and generally growing erect, with a characteristic forked manner of branching; the Asiatic genus Crawfurdia has a climbing stem; they are often low-growing and caespitose, as in the alpine gentians.

P. 2-3 cm. cracking, convexo-exp. even, glabrous, rufous- or bay-cinnamon then tawny; g. crowded, narrow, yellow then rusty; s. 4-7 cm. fistulose, thin, somewhat umber, narrowed upwards, pulverulent at first; sp. 8-10 � 5-6. nitens, Cke. and Mass. Caespitose.

Fries says it is solitary, Secretan says caespitose from a common base. sublateritium, Schaeff.

Allied to Pholiota, caespitose, growing on wood. fusus, Batsch.

P. irreg., caespitose, smaller than type.