Home
Phyllaries many, imbricate, margins membranous becoming much expanded and ± appendage-like about the apex, usually purplish-tinged, puberulous and ± ciliolate; the outer phyllaries from c. 1.5 mm. long and narrowly ovate-lanceolate, the inner to c. 4 mm. long and narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate-spathulate.
Achenes 1.5–3 mm. long, subcylindric, tapering slightly to the base, strongly 4–5-ribbed or angular, the apical rim usually produced into a thin-walled short apical tube, often irregular or asymmetrical on its upper margin, the faces between the ribs flat with few to numerous glandular trichomes; pappus absent.
Leaves alternate or spirally arranged, subsessile, crowded, 2–6.5 x 0.3–1 cm., narrowly oblong-elliptic, grading into synflorescence bracts, acute to subobtuse at the apex, cuneate below, margins serrulate to serrate or subentire, lamina subcoriaceous, glabrous or finely sparsely puberulous, glandular-punctate.
Stems woody at the base, strict or sparsely-to much-branched in the upper part, ± densely leafy on the upper stem and branches, closely appressed puberulous above, glabrescent below or glabrous; indumentum hairs short-stalked with an excentric apical cell; branches strict, to c. 45 cm. long.
Corollas purple or lilac, exserted, 5–6 mm. long, narrowly funnel-shaped; the limb deeply narrowly-lobed, scattered glandular with the lobes sometimes sparsely short-bristled.
Involucres 3–5 x 5–6(8) mm. in flowering capitula, to c. 7 mm. wide in fruiting capitula, broadly campanulate to bowl-shaped.
Capitula many, loosely clustered in terminal, corymbiform cymes; capitula stalks 0–10 mm. long.
An erect or decumbent perennial herb to c. 1.3 m. tall.
Florets 40–100 per capitulum.
