Home
Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate on upper stem and branches, subsessile, mostly 8–18 x 1.5–6 cm., narrowly oblong-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, apex subobtuse, base cuneate to rounded, margins crenulate to serrate sometimes coarsely irregularly so, teeth ± callose-tipped; upper surface sparsely scabrid-pilose, the hairs flagelliform becoming rigid; lower surface paler, pilose to tomentose with a prominent reticulate venation.
Phyllaries numerous, many-seriate, purple-tipped, cartilaginous with membranous margins, glabrous or ± sparsely pubescent, the outer from c. 5 mm. long, the inner to c. 12 mm. long, ovate to broadly oblong-rotund, the innermost lorate, shortly acuminate-cuspidate at the apex.
Achenes stramineous, 2.5–4 mm. long, subcylindric, bluntly 4–5-angular, ± flat or faintly grooved on the faces, truncate at the apex with a shallow rimmed depression, truncate at the base, smooth and polished; pappus of few very caducous barbellate setae 1–3 mm. long.
An erect suffrutescent perennial herb with annual stems to c. 90 cm. tall from a small woody rootstock; rootcrowns and stem base pale-brown lanate, roots numerous thong-like.
Corollas pale-mauve or purple, 9–12 mm. long, narrowly tubular widening upwards; lobes to c. 4 mm. long, linear, sparsely glandular-hairy otherwise glabrous outside.
Capitula (1)3–12, laxly corymbiform cymose on long stalk-like branches, usually subtended by leaf-like bracts to c. 5 cm. long.
Stems several, leafy, branching above, striate, coarsely pilose-pubescent; the hairs flagelliform.
Involucres 10–15 x 12–25 mm., broadly campanulate-cyathiform.