Helichrysum cephaloideum Dc.

Perennial herb, stock stout, woody, flowering stems several from the crown, simple or sometimes forked near base, erect to ±400 mm, loosely grey-woolly, leafy throughout. Radical leaves rosetted, often withered at flowering, ±20-50 x 10-20 mm, lanceolate-oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, apex acute, base broad, clasping, both surfaces loosely grey-woolly, upper also with coarse patent hairs, wool sometimes wanting; cauline leaves erect, imbricate, smaller than radical, decreasing in size upwards, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, uppermost tipped with a small scarious bract, base half-clasping, very shortly decurrent, both surfaces grey-woolly, upper sometimes glabrescent. Heads homogamous, campanulate, 4-5(-6) mm long, several in a compact subglobose cluster up to ±30 mm across, often webbed together at the base with wool. Involucral bracts in ±6 series, subequal, loosely imbricate, exceeding flowers, radiating, glossy, bright yellow or deep straw-colour, outer often overlaid or tipped golden-brown or rarely purple-brown, outer acute, inner obtuse, apiculate. Receptacle with fimbrils exceeding ovaries. Flowers 30-70(-103). Achenes 0.75 mm, barrel-shaped, glabrous. Pappus bristles many, equalling corolla, scabrid, tips barbellate, bases cohering by patent cilia. Flowering between November and May, but principally from December to March.