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Perennial herb, up to 0.2 m high; procumbent; from a woody taproot; stems several. Leaves subspathulate-oblanceolate, elliptic in upper half and narrowing, base narrowly semi-amplexicaul, acute at apex, margins obscured subserrate, uniformly silvery-grey thinly appressed-lanate on upper surface, more densely so beneath. Capitula few-many, solitary and terminal on branches or short-shoots, subsessile, usually axillary, subtended by several leaves and leaf-like bracts; involucre campanulate; involucral bracts many, stiffly chartaceous to subcoriacous with narrow membranous margins. Florets purplish. Flowering time Dec., Jan.? Pappus several-seriate of many barbellate setae. Cypselae turbinate, strongly 10-ribbed.
Inner floret corollas whitish-mauve, c. 6 mm. long, narrowly tubular; achenes c. 4 mm. long, narrowly turbinate and somewhat compressed, with c. 10 pronounced ± wing-like ribs, uniformly densely setose-strigose between the ribs, basal hairs shorter more numerous and ± spreading; pappus 2-seriate, outer of 15–20 slender subplumose-ciliolate setae to c. 12 mm. long, inner of c. 10 more robust very narrowly scale-like setae to c. 15 mm. long and broadly membranous undulate-winged towards the base, subplumose ciliolate above.
Erect or decumbent perennial herb, up to 150 mm tall. Leaves elliptic, apex acute, margins entire, upper surface cobwebby at first, later glabrous, lower white-felted. Heads heterogamous, disciform, solitary, terminal, sessile. Involucral bracts narrowly lanceolate, with subsquarrose bristle tip, purplish, shiny. Pappus setae barbellate. Flowers purplish.
Leaves mostly 2.5–6.5 x 0.4–1.5 cm., elliptic, acute mucronate at the apex, narrowing to a short winged midrib below, margins thickened subserrate with ± obscured callose teeth; upper surface thinly whitish araneose later glabrescent, lower surface densely greyish-white lanate.
Phyllaries numerous, stiffly chartaceous; the outer from c. 6 mm. long, tapering-subulate, often squarrose, araneose soon glabrescent, sharply ciliolate on the margins; the inner to c. 32(35) x 3(4) mm., lorate-lanceolate, tapering acute and pungent.
Outer floret corollas rudimentary, c. 6 mm. long, filiform; ovary rudimentary, long lanate-setose from the base; pappus of numerous barbellate setae to c. 25 mm. long, ± equalling the involucre.
Stems annual, many from the root crown, slender, erect ascending or decumbent, up to c. 15 cm. long, branched, leafy, greyish lanate.
Capitula 1-several, solitary and terminal on branches or short shoots, subsessile, axillary, subtended by several leaves.
Involucres mostly 23–33 x 7–15 mm., spreading to c. 25 mm. wide, narrowly campanulate.
A low spreading perennial herb to c. 10 cm. tall, from a woody taproot.
Receptacle shallowly alveolate.
