Carphochaete is a genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. They are known commonly as bristleheads. These are branching shrubs and subshrubs usually growing 20 to 45 centimeters tall, but known to well exceed one meter at times. The leaves have glandular pits. They are usually opposite but are sometimes arranged alternately. The flower heads are solitary or paired, or occasionally in arrays of several. They are just a few millimeters wide and usually contain 3 or 4 white, pink, or purple funnel-shaped disc florets, sometimes more. The hairy, ribbed cypsela is tipped with a pappus of long scales.