Perennial herb, up to 600 mm long; procumbent. Leaves alternate, sessile; blade linear, up to 70 x 5 mm, apex acute, base cuneate, margins entire to serrulate, upper surface greenish black, gland-pitted, lower surface white-felted. Heads discoid, broadly campanulate, ± 15 mm long, up to 35 mm in diameter, broadly campanulate, solitary or subcorymbosely arranged at branch tips. Involucral bracts in many rows, imbricate, inner with subulate apices, exceeding pappus, erect or outer squarrose. Flowers: disc florets only, many, purple or whitish; Jan.-May. Fruit with cypsela turbinate, obscurely 10-ribbed, densely hairy. Pappus of isomorphic, barbellate bristles. Some specimens from the eastern FS have shortly petiolate, small, elliptic or narrowly ovate leaves, up to 15 x 10 mm, with 2 distinct lateral veins from base. Flowering time: Jan.-Apr.
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