Citation: Wendl., Bot. Beob. 41 (1798).

Derivation: Greek arktos, a bear; theke box; referring to the shaggy achenes.

Synonymy: Cryptostemma R. Br. in Aiton, Hort. Kew. edn 2, 5:141 (1813). 4 species in South Africa.

Common name: None

Description:
Annual or perennial herbs, rosette-forming or with prostrate to ascending stems; vestiture of white tomentum, glandular hairs often present; leaves radical and cauline, alternate, flat, pinnatisect to entire, tomentose below.

capitula axillary, pedunculate, solitary, radiate, heterogamous; involucres broadly campanulate to hemispherical; bracts lanceolate, herbaceous to scarious, imbricate in 3-5 unequal series; receptacle flat, naked, pitted; ray florets uniseriate, sterile, ligulate; disk florets bisexual, fertile, tubular; anthers sagittate at the base with ovate acute appendages at the apex; style branches very short, almost completely fused, obtuse, glabrous.

Achenes terete, ribbed, obovoid, densely tomentose or sericeous; pappus of minute scarious scales, uniseriate.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Stems and peduncles slightly tomentose and bearing dark glandular hairs; leaves oblanceolate, lyrate-pinnatisect	A. calendula 1.
1. Stems and peduncles densely covered with white felt-like tomentum; leaves ovate to deltoid, simple or with a pair of small lobes at the base of a much larger terminal lobe	A. populifolia 2.

Author: Not yet available