[4][5] Well-known members are Stevia rebaudiana (used as a sugar substitute), a number of medicinal plants (Eupatorium), and a variety of late summer to autumn blooming garden flowers, including Ageratum (flossflower), Conoclinium (mistflower), and Liatris (blazing star or gayfeather).

[8] Within Helianthodae, they belong to an informal group without taxonomic rank called the phytomelanin cypsela clade, which contains 11 tribes.

[9] The largest genera and the approximate number of species in each are: Mikania (440), Ageratina (290), Stevia (200), Chromolaena (165), Koanophyllon (120), Brickellia (100), and Fleischmannia (95).

These are Hofmeisteriinae, Oxylobinae, Oaxacaniinae, Mikaniinae, Trichocoroninae, Adenostemmatinae, Fleischmanniinae, Ageratinae, Eupatoriinae, Liatrinae, Praxelinae, Gyptidinae, Disynaphiinae, Ayapaninae, Alomiinae, Critoniinae, Hebecliniinae, and Neomirandeinae.

A partial phylogeny of the tribe (focusing on Eupatorium and some of the other North American genera) is: Hofmeisteria Hofmeisteriinae Stevia Ageratinae Mikania Mikaniinae Ageratina Oxylobinae Brickellia Alomiinae Chromolaena Praxelinae Stomatanthes Eupatoriinae Critonia Critoniinae Fleischmannia Fleischmanniinae Ageratum Ageratinae Conoclinium Gyptidinae Carphephorus Liatrinae Liatris Liatrinae Eutrochium Eupatoriinae Eupatorium Eupatoriinae From the positions of Stevia and Stomatanthes in the phylogeny, some of the subtribes are probably polyphyletic.

For convenience, the genera will remain in their current subtribes until a much larger data set enables the production of a more robustly supported phylogeny.