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Grasses, shrubs, some very few trees, occasional lianas and succulent plants, but seldom aquatic plants and epiphytes are members of this family. The leaves are either found alternating each other or arranged in an opposite manner. They are all simple, but regularly lobed. Cymose or corymbform inflorescence is protected by several groups of bracts. 

Flowers are usually small, occur either single or as many as 500 per group, are sessile or sub sessile and are bound on a common receptacle. They are hermaphrodite, pistillate, staminate or even sterile. Ovary is inferior, formed by 2 closely united carpels and unilocular with a basally arranged ovule.

The corolla is gamopetalous, formed by 3 to 5 more or less equal or sometimes unequal petals that are fused together. The flowers show zygomorphic symmetry and are mostly bilabiate with 2 upper petals being bilobed and the 3 lower ones being fused to form trilobed structure. In groups of flowers, the flowers found internally are hermaphrodites or function as male flowers, while those externally found are pistillate. 

Stamens are found attached to the corolla with the anthers being fused to form a tube all around the style. The fruit is unilocular, monospermic, indehiscent and generally occurs as an achene and seldom as a drupe. 

This genus encompasses some 40 species that are distributed in tropical regions of Asia and Africa, with most species belonging to Madagascar. 

Members of this genus are trees, shrubs, bushes or lianas. The leaves are alternate, petiolate and the lamina is usually divided into three lobes. Inflorescence is formed by terminal cymoses, often paniculi-form or is reduced to solitary capitula. Usually, these are homogamous, the involucre being generally campanulate with bracts in series of 3 to 7. These bracts are imbricate and persistent. 

The receptacle is flattened, while the corolla can be yellow, orange, or yellowish, very regular with 5 lobes. The anthers are attached at the base and the styles are filiform. Achenes are glandular and pubescent sometimes smooth. Pappus occurs in 2 groups. The inner one is composed of longer silky threads, while the outer one has shorter and flattened ones. 
 

Faujasiopsis

This genus is comprised of only 3 species found in Reunion Island and Mauritius. Of these only 1 species is endemic to Mauritius and only one was observed at Mondrain. 
These are erect bushes or lianas. The leaves can be either petiolate or subsessile with the lamina being divided into 3 or 5 lobes. The capitula are small, homogamous and discoid or heterogamous and discoid with few female flowers however. Involucre bracts occur either in groups of 8 or 13. The corolla is white, pale lilac or pale pink. The tubes of the hermaphroditic flowers are infundibuliform to campanulate.

Anthers are deciduous. Achenes are smooth. Carpophores are formed by 5 to 8 rows of cells. The pappus is form by scabrous silkly threads
 

Psidia
The genus is comprised of some 60 species of which some 26 species are found in the Mascareignes.

Members of this genus are shrubs or small trees that very rarely branched but more or less creeping. The leaves are alternate, sessile or petiolate, heteromorphic, with entire or serrate margins and are smooth and hairy at times.

Inflorescence is terminal and corymbform, very rarely solitary and is often found near leafy shoot. Capitula are small, bear peduncles or are sometimes subsessile, heterogamous and homochromatic. Involucre varies from campanulate to hemispherical.

The bracts occur in series of 3 or 4, are rigid or membranous with scarious margins. The receptacle varies from flat to convex or large and ranges from sub-glandular to conical. Flowers either few or numerous, vary from white to yellow in colour. The external ones are female flowers that radiate in series of 1 to 4. The corolla exists in the form of tubes and is filiform, and the style is slender and smooth. The internally found ones are the male flowers. The latter usually reach maturity only after the female flowers. The number of male flowers is approximately half as less as the female ones. These are also seldom solitary. 

The styles are short and papillionaceous. The anthers on the other hand are borne on obtuse bases. Ovaries are cylindrical or are reduced to nipple-like structures. Achenes are smooth and columnar in shape. The pappus occurs as a range of silky hairs and is fused at the base in the form of a ring. 

Senecio

The genus is comprised of some 1000 spices that are cosmopolitan except in the Antarctica.

These are perennial grasses or bushes that can be succulent or climbing. The leaves usually alternate each other, are either petiolate or sessile while venation pattern can be highly varied. The capitula vary from few solitary ones to numerous. They are arranged on simple or compound corymbform cymoses. The capitula can be homogamous and discoid or heterogamous and radiating. 

The corolla is yellow, white or purple. The flowers that are found in the internal portions are infundibular with the lobes being usually two and a half times longer than large.

The achenes are either smooth or hairy. Carpophores are present, are arranged in the form of a ring. The pappus is formed by numerous scabrous silky hairs.