Bushy subshrub up to ±1.8 m high, viscid and aromatic particularly when fresh, stem base thick and woody, branching (and sometimes rooting) there or higher, branches spreading, rough with leaf bases, glandular and with traces of white wool, each terminating in a large leaf rosette subtended by dry withered leaves, flowering stems (peduncles) one or several from the axils of the spent leaves below the fresh terminal growth, ±300(-450) mm long, glandular, thinly to thickly appressed white-woolly as well, closely leafy. Rosette leaves up to ±180(-250) x 80 mm, narrowly to broadly elliptic or obovate, narrowed to a broad clasping base, apex acute to obtuse, apiculate, margins of young leaves often undulate, both surfaces very glandular, in var. pallidum greyish woolly as well, at least below; peduncle leaves erect, imbricate, up to 80 x 20(-30) mm, diminishing in size upwards, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, apex subacute to acute to acuminate, apiculate, base broad, cordate-clasping, sometimes very shortly decurrent, margins crisped-undulate in upper half, both surfaces glandular-pilose with traces of white wool on the margins and over the main veins to densely greyish-white woolly in var. pallidum. Heads heterogamous, depressed-globose, ±25-35 mm across the radiating involucral bracts, solitary or up to ±12 in a compact corymbose cluster at the peduncle tip, loosely white-woolly at the base. Involucral bracts in 10 series, somewhat graded, imbricate, much exceeding the flowers, radiating, acute, glossy, bright or pale yellow, or creamy white overlaid palest buff in var. pallidum. Receptacle shortly honeycombed. Flowers 701-1148, 80-156 female, 592-1048 homogamous, yellow. Achenes 0.75-1 mm long, barrel-shaped, glabrous. Pappus bristles many, equalling corolla, tips barbellate, bases cohering lightly by patent cilia.
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