Plants perennial herbs or small shrubes; Leaves usually opposite, rarely opposite, entire. Inflorescences spikelike, narrow bracteate thyrses with compact, sterile, partial inflorescened basically or ultimate triads of 1 fertile and 2 modified sterile flowers. Fertile flowers 3-6 in each partial inflorescence, commonly with 2 triads set on each side of a solitary, bracteolate fertile flower; tepals 5, all similar in form; stamens 5, free or shortly united by their filaments; pseudostaminodes absent; ovaries with 1 ovule; styles simple, slender; stigmas capitate; sterile flowers of a few, narrow, bracteoliform processes and numerous glabrous or pilose bristles iiin several clusters, lengthening as the fruits mature. Fruits capsules, rupturing in the lower part, each partial inflorescence probably falling intact at maturity.
Dasysphaera includes 4 species, all native to eastern and northeastern Africa.
Note: GBIF records include introduced and cultivated plants. Consequently, the distribution shown often differs from statements about a taxon's native distribution.