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Phyllaries numerous, appressed imbricate, scarious with subhyaline margins, minutely pectinate-ciliate about the apex, araneose outside, sparsely glandular; the outer phyllaries from c. 3 mm. long, ovate with a subulate often squarrose apex; middle phyllaries lanceolate, tapering to a ± squarrose-pungent subulate apex with bristle-tips to c. 2 mm. long; the inner phyllaries to c. 8 mm. long, narrowly strap-shaped and tapering-acute at the apex.
Leaves alternate, subsessile, mostly 8–26 x 1.2–6 cm., narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, apex tapering acuminate, base narrowly attenuate, margins finely serrate with bristle-tipped teeth, the bristles to c. 1 mm. long, lamina softly thinly herbaceous drying chartaceous, sparsely pilose soon glabrescent, hairs flagelliform.
Achenes 3–4 mm. long, narrowly ellipsoid-obovoid with a wide shallowly-rimmed depression at the apex, somewhat 4-sided at least when mature, narrowly c. 9-ribbed; pappus of caducous barbellate setae to c. 3 mm. long.
Capitula small, numerous, at first in dense subglobose clusters, becoming laxly arranged on divaricate branches or ± sessile in scorpioid cymes.
Corollas pale-lilac fading whitish, 6–7 mm. long, funnel-shaped, the lobes acicular-setose at the apex otherwise glabrous.
Stems leafy, branching above, sparsely pilose soon glabrescent; hairs flagelliform.
Involucres 7–9 x 3–5 mm., subcylindric to somewhat campanulate.
An erect soft perennial herb to c. 2 m. tall.
