Erect annual, 60-90 cm high, not or sparingly branched, stem hard, densely clothed with erect appressed long white hairs. Leaves sessile, linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, acute, firmly herbaceous with a strong midrib, on both surfaces densely clothed with appressed long white hairs, 2½-5 cm by 2-5 mm. Heads subtended by an involucre of 5-9 patent cauline leaves, depressed globose, 3-4 cm diam.; involucral leaves narrowly linear, tapering to a very acute apex, 1-nerved, at the base long-ciliate, on both surfaces densely clothed with appressed long white hairs, 2-3 by 4-6 mm; receptacle densely long-white-woolly; bracts and bracteoles tapering from a broad base, bracts 6-7 mm long; bracteoles very acute ± 8 mm. Flowers between the bracteoles on a very short thick pedicel; perianth strongly compressed, purple, greatly surpassing the bracteoles 12-14 mm long. Tepals nearly free, lanceolate, acute, 1-nerved, in the lowest ⅓-½ of the back (especially at the base) clothed with long hairs. Stamens 7-9 mm long, at the base for a length of 2-4 mm connate into a tube; free parts of filaments flat, glabrous 5-6 mm, alternating with shorter subulate acute anantherous pseudo-staminodes. Ovary glabrous; style glabrous, 8-9 mm, longer than the stamens, shortly bifid; arms spreading. Fruit?
Probably in sunny dry localities, in Timor on calcareous rocks, apparently rare, only twice collected.
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