Columnar shrub to 2 m, without lignotuber. Stems tomentose and hirsute. Leaves: petiole to 4 cm long, hirsute and tomentose; lamina linear, pinnatifid, 5-15 cm long, 3-15 mm wide, mucronate, white-tomentose below with long sparse hairs on midrib, sparsely hirsute and pubescent above; margins revolute; lobes 5-18 each side, triangular-falcate, to 8 mm long. Inflorescence sessile, surrounded by leaves; involucral bracts linear-subulate, to 20 mm long, glandular-pubescent, hirsute on lower margins; flowers 25-35 per head;. Perianth curved downwards, 11-14 mm long (lower flowers), 16 mm long (upper flowers), pale yellow to purple with grey-brown limb, villous with curled hairs above base, sparser distally; limb 2-2.5 mm long, sparsely hirsute. Pistil curved up then down, 13-16 mm long (lower flowers) or 19-20 mm long (upper flowers), red-brown, glabrous except hirsute ovary; pollen presenter 1.2 mm long, smooth. Follicles 1 or 2, broadly obovate or cuneate, 10-12 mm long, pubescent.
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