Hilliardiella aristata (Dc.) H.Rob.

Herbaceous perennial, 0.1-1.2 m tall, with erect annual stems from woody rootstock; stem simple or rarely branched, closely leafy, striate, densely appressed silvery-silky and sparsely gland-dotted; eglandular vestiture of short-stalked medifixed T-shaped hairs. Leaves sessile, linear-oblanceolate to elliptic, rarely ovate or sub-orbicular, 30-80 x 5-20 mm, acute or acuminate, base cuneate, margins ± plane, both surfaces ± equally densely silvery-silky and gland dotted, unicolorous or slightly discolorous, with prominent pinnate venation on underside, eglandular hairs short-stalked medifixed T-shaped. Capitula corymbose or sub-umbellate, (10)15-to 20 (40)-flowered. Involucre campanulate, 5-10 mm diam. when pressed; bracts ±4-seriate, densely silvery-silky-tomentose and sparsely gland-dotted, eglandular hairs medifixed T-shaped, outer two series subulate, 1.5-2.0 x 0.5-1.0 mm, inner two series narrowly lanceolate, long-acuminate and conduplicate or smoothly acute, conspicuously bristle-tipped, 5.0-9.0 x 1.0 mm Florets mauve-purple, corolla 5-7 mm long, sparsely gland-dotted and strigose on outer part and lobes, eglandular hairs medifixed T-shaped, lobes 1.5-2.0 mm long. Anthers saggitate with ovate apical appendages. Style up to 4 mm long, branches ±2 mm long. Cypselas sub-cylindric, 4-or 5-ribbed, 2.0-2.5 mm long, gland-dotted and silky-strigose; pappus bi-seriate, outer scales 1-2 mm long, inner bristles 4-6 mm long, whitish.