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Phyllaries green, scarious with a distinct hyaline margin, sometimes expanded above, obscurely 3–6 nerved, sparsely hispidulous or glabrescent, finely ciliate-pectinate on the margins towards the apex, becoming widely diverging, the outer from c. 3 mm. long, the inner series subequal to c. 8 mm. long, narrowly oblong to oblong-lanceolate, tapering-acuminate to a pungent or bristle tip, sometimes pungent-cuspidate.
Leaves opposite, the uppermost alternate; petioles to c. 1.5 cm. long; lamina mostly 3–12 x 0.7–6 cm., ± narrowly oblong-elliptic or lanceolate to ovate, apex acute, base cuneate to rounded, margins remotely serrulate to coarsely serrate-dentate, sparsely hispidulous to glabrescent and gland-dotted on both surfaces, hairs shortly-stalked flagelliform.
Achenes pale-brown, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, narrowly obovoid-oblong with c. 5 low broad ribs and narrower dark-brown gland-filled grooves in between, rounded above with a shallow apical depression; pappus absent or of a few very caducous barbellate setae 1-3 mm. long.
Corollas purplish to mauve, fading somewhat, exserted above the involucre, 6–8 mm. long, widening gradually upwards, glabrous except for scattered glands; lobes to c. 3 mm. long, linear.
Stems 0.2–1 m. tall, simple to widely branched above, leafy, hispid; indumentum a mixture of± patent flagelliform hairs and appressed short-stalked T-shaped hairs.
Capitula few to many, mostly laxly corymbiform cymose on slender stalks 1–8.5 cm. long, not clustered.
Involucres 5–8 x 5–14 mm., spreading campanulate.
An erect annual herb.
