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Achenes 1.5–2 mm. long, narrowly oblong-obovoid, often curved, truncate at the apex, 4–5-angular, obscurely ribbed on the angles and ± sparsely setulose, the faces smooth with scattered brown minute gland-dots, otherwise glabrous; pappus of 4–7 broad ± united shiny scales, 0.5–1 mm. long and lacerate on the upper margin, or sometimes the scales free and alternating with 4–7-narrower paleaceous setae which exceed or ± equal the scales in length.
Leaves sessile or subsessile, overlapping, alternate or spirally arranged, sometimes subopposite or whorled, 2–4.5 x 0.4–1.2 cm., narrowly oblong-lanceolate to narrowly-elliptic or ovate, acute mucronate at the apex, cuneate to rounded below, margins ± revolute, upper surface densely tomentellous to sparsely pilose, lower surface paler, tomentose or pubescent, glandular punctate.
Stems many, strict, branching near the apex, densely leafy with internodes mostly less than 10 mm. long, densely pilose-tomentose with glands between the hairs, becoming pubescent or glabrescent below; indumentum of short-stalked flagelliform hairs.
Capitula numerous, in few to many 3–15-capitulate clusters, or the capitulum-clusters ± corymbiformly cymose on branches 1.5–9 cm. long, occasionally the capitula somewhat scorpioidly arranged along branches.
Phyllaries several-seriate, purple above, acute, tomentose to woolly outside; the outer from c. 1 mm. long, narrowly ovate; the inner to c. 5 mm. long, narrowly oblong to lanceolate.
Corollas purple, darker in the upper half, 4–6 mm. long, narrowly funnel-shaped, puberulous to tomentellous outside or only the lobes hispidulous, glandular.
An erect tufted perennial herb to c. 1 m. tall, with annual stems from a woody rootstock; rootstock with a woody taproot.
Involucres 3–5 x 4–6 mm., campanulate to subglobose, florets exserted.
Receptacle shallowly alveolate.
