Rhizome usually woody, with short reddish brown lepidoid runners of squamiform leaves, with somewhat caespitose sterile stems and flowering stems. Stems erect, 30-50 cm, slightly slender, white arachnoid hairy and with tentacles, unbranched or with synflorescence branches at upper parts, rather densely leafy at lower parts. Lower leaves usually short and small, often caducous and lost by anthesis; middle leaves expanding, linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, 3-5 × 0.2-0.8 cm, base equilateral, decurrent on stems and becoming a narrow or cuneiform wing, margin flat, apex acuminate, with short cusp; upper leaves small, somewhat erect, apiculate, with withered scarious long cusp; all leaves arachnoid cottony tomentose, densely lanate, or only with capitate-stalked glandular hairs, midvein exserted abaxially, lateral veins not conspicuous. Capitula numerous, compound corymbiform, dense, terminal on stems and branches; peduncle 1-3 mm; common peduncle of synflorescence ca. 2 cm. Involucre campanulate, 6-7 × 6-8 mm; phyllaries 6-or 7-seriate; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 2.5 mm, sparsely cottony tomentose; middle ones white or lurid, oblong, ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, apex somewhat obtuse, with gland at top of claw; innermost ones oblong-linear, with a claw ca. 2/5 of full length. Receptacle with fimbrillate short hairs. Outer rows of predominantly female capitula female, with 1 or 2 male florets present in center; predominantly male capitula with male florets only. Corolla 3.2-3.5 mm. Pappus almost equaling corolla, male florets pappus incrassate at tip of apex, serrulate. Achene ca. 1 mm, with sparse glandular spots. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.
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