Perennial herb from woody underground rootstock, rootstock deltoid, up to 110 mm in diameter at top, aromatic (smells like fennel: Foeniculum vulgare Miller). Stems up to 1.2 m high, simple below, branching corymbosely in upper half. Leaves alternate, filiform, up to 80 mm long, ±0.5 mm broad, decreasing in size upwards, apex acute, margin entire, glabrous. Capitula heterogamous, radiate, up to ±16 in loose terminal corymbs. Involucre obconic, 10(-12) mm long, 10-12(-15) mm in diameter across mouth of involucre. Involucral bracts in 5 or 6 rows, imbricate, outer shorter than inner, straw-coloured, glabrous except for hairy apices; outer row ovate, 3-4 x 1.0-1.2 mm, apex long acuminate, purplish, margin narrowly membranous, fimbriate, midline keeled; second row ovate, 3.5-4.5 x 1.5-2.0 mm, apex acute to acuminate, purplish, margin narrowly membranous, fimbriate, midline keeled; third row ovate, 4.5-5.0 x 2 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, fimbriate, midline dark, broadening slightly towards apex; fourth row ovate, 6-7 x 2.2-3.0 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, fimbriate, midline dark, elliptically broadened near apex; fifth row oblong, 7.5-8.5 x 3.0-3.5 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, fimbriate, midline dark, elliptically broadened near apex; sixth row oblong to narrowly obovate, 9-10 x 3.0-3.5 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, fimbriate, midline dark. Receptacle conical, paleate, paleae straw-coloured, boat-shaped, 9-10 x 2-4 mm, apex acute, margins fimbriate, midline dark, sometimes membranous winged, sparsely fimbriate, glabrous except for hairy apices, enveloping disc florets. Ray florets female, fertile, up to ±12, tube 3 mm long, with staminodes, limb 8.0-8.5 x 4-5 mm, oblong to elliptic, narrowing abruptly towards tube, apex 3-dentate, corolla glabrous, white. Style 4 mm long, bifurcate, but often 3-furcate, style branches linear, 1 mm long, apex obtuse, stigmatic areas marginal, confluent at apex. Cypselae (immature) obconical, 4.0-4.5 x 1.2-1.5 mm, 3-angled, densely covered with a mixture of long twin hairs and multicellular hairs. Pappus dimorphic, consisting of 3 or 4 awn-like scales, up to 4 mm long, slightly broadening towards base, interspersed by 5 or 6 flat, chartaceous scales, up to 2 x 1 mm, apices and margins fimbriate. Disc florets bisexual, regular, tubular below, slightly widening upwards, tube up to 5 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes up to 2 mm long, corolla glabrous, white. Anthers purplish, 2 mm long, apical appendages narrowly ovate, ±0.8 mm long, base calcarate and caudate, tails ±0.8 mm long, hairy. Style 5 mm long, bifurcate, style branches linear, 1.0-1.4 mm long, obtuse, stigmatic areas marginal, confluent at apex, with papillae outside on apices. Cypselae (immature) very narrowly obovate, 4-5 x 1.0-1.5 mm, laterally compressed, densely covered with a mixture of long twin hairs and multicellular hairs. Pappus dimorphic, consisting of 3 or 4 awn-like scales, up to 4 mm long, slightly broadening towards base, interspersed by 5 or 6 flat, chartaceous scales, up to 2 x 1 mm, apices and margins fimbriate.
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