Paepalanthus is a genus of plants in the family Eriocaulaceae. The genus is largely restricted to the campos rupestres of the Espinhaço Range and adjacent mountains, with few species in the Serra da Mantiqueira complex, restingas of the coast of Brazil, and a disjunct distribution (Paepalanthus subg. Platycaulon) in the Andean paramo.

In 2023, the most extensive study of the genus was published with molecular analyzes and new morphological data, along with the broadest sampling of inflorescences in the family. Since then, the genus has been recognized as monophyletic with 257 species.

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