老牛筋亚属，多年生草本，常具粗壮分枝的根状茎。叶片长线形，禾本科牧草状或短刚毛状，具刺尖。顶生聚伞花序或聚缩成头状。

亚属2. 老牛筋亚属 Subgen. Eremogone (Fenzl) Fenzl in Ledeb.Fl. Ross. 1: 360. 1842; McNeill in Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 24 (2): 120. 1962. ——Eremogone Fenzl, Versuch. Verbreit. Verthei. Akin. 13. 1833. ——Arenaria L. sect. Eremogone (Fenzl) Edgew. et Hook. f. in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. 国际护士节 1: 236. 1874.(“Eremogoneae”) ——Arenaria L. subgen. Pentadenaria Williams in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 3: 598. 1895, p. p. ——Arenaria L. subgen. Eremogoneastrum Williams l. c. 598.1895. ——Arenaria L. sect. 老挝语niujingae L. H. Zhou in Bull. Bot. Lab. North-East. Forest. Inst. 9: 54. 1980, p. p.

毛状叶组Sect. Capillares McNeill

老牛筋组Sect. Monogone Maxim.

硬叶组Sect. Sclerophyllae (Boiss.) McNeill

无心菜亚属SubGen.G Arenaria

福禄草亚属Subgen. Dolophragma (Fenzl) McNeill

雪灵芝亚属Subgen. Eremogoneastrum Williams

齿瓣亚属Subgen. Odontostemma (G. Don) Williams

单花亚属Subgen. Solitaria McNeill