Rhizome thickish, woody, ascending, upper parts densely with withered leaves, with rosette leaves and densely caespitose flowering stems and sterile stems. Stems erect or ascending, 20-50 cm, lower parts woody, persistent, simple or branching at base or broken stems, with yellow capitate-stalked glandular hairs, arachnoid tomentose at lower parts, densely leafy. Rosette leaves obovate or oblong, ca. 1.5 × 0.5 cm, both surfaces ash-gray cottony tomentose. Lower cauline leaves caducous and lost by anthesis; middle leaves somewhat expanding, oblong or linear-lanceolate, 3-7 × 0.3-1 cm, base equilateral, decurrent on stems and becoming a narrow or cuneate wing, margin flat, apex acute, with conspicuous cusp; leaves becoming smaller upward, erect or somewhat expanding, lanceolate-linear, acuminate, with withered scarious long cusp; all leaves yellow-green, thin, with stalked glandular hairs on both surfaces, 3-veined, hairs around veins considerably long. Capitula numerous, dense, compound corymbiform, terminal on stems and branches; peduncle slender. Involucre broadly campanulate, ca. 7 × 5-8 mm; phyllaries 4-or 5-seriate; outer phyllaries broadly ovate, ca. 3.5 mm, cottony tomentose; middle ones yellow-white, oblong, ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, base fulvous, apex obtuse or rounded; innermost ones oblong, ca. 5.5 mm, with a claw ca. 1/3 of full length. Receptacle with fimbrillate short hairs. Center of predominantly female capitula with female florets and 1-3 male florets; predominantly male capitula with male florets only. Corolla 4-4.5 mm. Pappus almost as long as corolla, male florets pappus incrassate at tip of apex, dentate. Achene oblong, ca. 1 mm, sparsely papillate. Fl. Jul-Sep.
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