Annual or short-lived perennial herb, 0.5–3.5(–4.5) m high, little branched or with several stems from base, pungent or aromatic (Napier states “smells of cats”; Williams states “minty”); stems thin-arachnoid-pubescent and glandular, winged with wings 1–5 mm wide.. Leaves marcescent or deciduous, ovate-lanceolate, 2–17 cm long, 0.8–5 cm wide, tapering to the decurrent base, margins serrate, apex acute, scabridulous and glandular above, grey arachnoid-pubescent and glandular beneath.. Capitula many in terminal lax leafy panicles, the individual heads 10–16 mm long, nodding in flower; stalks of individual capitula 5–28 mm long, pubescent and glandular; phyllaries unequal, the outermost shortest, the inner longest, narrowly triangular, 3–12 mm long, 0.4–1 mm wide, attenuate, the innermost almost flagellate, thin white-pubescent and glandular; receptacle flat, up to 1 cm wide, areolate.. Florets mauve, pink or purple, the outer pale, the inner darker; outer florets many (hundreds), tube 4.5–5.3 mm long, minutely toothed at the apex; style 5.2–5.5 mm long, with glabrous branches; inner florets 30–40, tube 4.7–6.2 mm long, lobes 0.4–0.5 mm long and glandular; anthers 1.8–2.1 mm long with very short tails and a brief ovate appendage; style 6–7.2 mm long, with mauve papillose branches.. Achenes cylindrical, 0.8–1.2 mm long, pubescent; pappus with white barbellate bristles 4.5–5.5 mm long.
Home