Aster-like plants, native to Europe, Northern and Central Asia and North Africa.
Another of the segregates from the formerly very large genus aster, one species G. linosyris is a rare British native found on a few limestone cliff slopes; this differs from most in the genus in lacking purple ray-flowers. All are of immense value to pollinating insects, especially butterflies, bumblebees, honeybees and hoverflies, particularly in the late summer to autumn garden.