Tribe Carpheae presently includes Carpha and Trianoptiles. Sixteen species were recovered in Carpha Banks & Sol. ex R.Br. sens. lat. by phenetic analyses and these species were separated into two clades that we recognise here as genera Carpha sens. str. and Asterochaete Nees, on the basis of phylogenetic analyses. We present a new taxonomy for the two genera, including eleven species in Asterochaete (A. acuminata X.F.Zhang, A. angustissima (Cherm.) X.F.Zhang, A. borbonica (Steud.) X.F.Zhang, A. capitellata Nees, A. dactyloides (Vahl) K.L.Wilson & J.J.Bruhl, A. discolor T.H.Arnold ex X.F.Zhang, A. eminii (C.B.Clarke) X.F.Zhang, A. filifolia (C.Reid & T.H.Arnold) X.F.Zhang, A. nitens Kunth, A. schlechteri (C.B.Clarke) X.F.Zhang and A. ulugurensis Nelmes ex X.F.Zhang) and five species in Carpha sens. str. (C. alpina R.Br., C. curvata W.M.Curtis, C. nivicola F.Muell., C. rodwayi W.M.Curtis, and C. schoenoides Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.), with one unassigned name (Carpha aristata Kük.). Asterochaete acuminata, A. discolor and A. ulugurensis are new species; a new combination, A. dactyloides, is made for what was previously called A. glomerata (Nees) Nees. The ranks of Asterochaete angustissima, Carpha schoenoides and C. nivicola are clarified, whereas Carpha bracteosa C.B.Clarke and C. perrieri Cherm. are synonymised with A. capitellata.