H. Beentje (2005) Gutenbergia. Flora of Somalia 3: 487-488
Plants annual or perennial herbs, with T-shaped hairs having long arms. Leaves opposite or alternate. Inflorescences of capitula in small clusters or open corymbose cymes; capitula fairly small, homogamous, discoid; phyllaries more or less spreading, usually with hyaline margines. Florets purple or mauve, narrowly funnel-shaped, 5-lobed, usually puberulent, the lobes sometimes with bristles or T-hairs; anthers obtuse at base, tips with narrowly ovate appendages; style arms linear, hairy. Achenes turbinate or oblong-conic, without ribs or with 4-10 ribs, tops rounded or truncate; pappuses usally absent or of a few caducous brisltes, rarely of persistent scales.
Gutenbergia includes about 20 species. There are three species in Somalia, one of which, Gutenbergia somalensis, is also known from Somaliland.