Wiry-stemmed, thinly woolly annual, up to 50 mm tall, branching from base, branches divaricately spreading. Leaves linear, pungent, 10-20 mm long, with margins rolled under, minutely glandular-hairy, thinly white-woolly when young, especially beneath. Flowerheads solitary at branch tips, radiate, 10-15 mm diam.; involucral bracts with wide membranous margins, pungent, outer sharply reflexed; ray florets magenta or white with purple reverse; disc florets yellow. Cypselas densely hairy; pappus of 5 awns, with membranous wings at base.