Annual herb 30–100 cm high; stems erect, pubescent in lower part.. Leaves slightly fleshy, often purplish beneath and on the margins, the lower broadly reniform-spatulate to obovate, 2–13 cm long, 1–7 cm wide, decurrent onto a narrow exauriculate petioloid base, margins subentire, apex rounded; the median and upper obovate, oblong, ovate or lanceolate, 2–9 cm long, 0.5–6.5 cm wide, base auriculate and semi-amplexicaul, margins shallowly sinuate-dentate, apex rounded to acute, sparsely pubescent, especially beneath.. Capitula 1–4 in terminal corymbs, dense to lax, discoid; stalks glabrous or shortly pubescent; involucre broadly cylindrical, 5–7.5 mm long, 3–3.5 mm in diameter; phyllaries 13–21, 4.5–7 mm long, glabrous or pubescent.. Disc florets red, sometimes (but rarely in East Africa) orange or yellow, corolla 6–10.5 mm long, lobes ± 1.8 mm long.. Achenes 2.5–3.5 mm long, sparsely hairy or glabrous; pappus 3–6 mm long.
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