Mairia petiolata Zinnecker

Rosulate perennial herb, up to 15 cm high. Roots thick, succulent, up to 80 x ±2 mm, dark brown to black. Leaves ±6 to 10, shortly to distinctly petiolate, petiole (10-)20-50(-90) mm long, slender, often tinged dark purple-red, densely white lanate adaxially at very base, white lanate, glabrescent to glabrous upwards; blade obovate to elliptic, 30-90 x 20-65 mm; apex acute, rarely obtuse; base attenuate; margin coarsely and irregularly dentate, sometimes slightly lobed, rarely almost entire, revolute; net-veined, with single main vein distinct on abaxial surface; often dark coloured, both surfaces glabrous or sparsely and shortly lanate, leaf surface visible through indumentum. Scapes 1 to 3, mostly 2(rarely 1 or 3)-headed, rigid, erect, 70-150 mm long, branched about halfway, tinged dark red-brown, ribbed, occasionally loosely lanate, sparsely glandular, slightly broadened and white lanate below capitula, with 1 to 3 bracts, decreasing in size upwards. Involucre campanulate to cyathiform, 10 x 10-18 mm. Involucral bracts 20 to 24, in 3 or 4 series, imbricate, narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, margins membranous, tinged dark red-violet or purplish, strongly ciliate, central part green, occasionally scattered white lanate and loosely glandular; outer bracts 5.5-7.0 x 1.5-1.8 mm; inner bracts 7.8-10.5 x 1.8-2.0 mm, glabrescent. Ray florets 12 to 16; corolla pink, limb linear, 10-11 mm long, broadly obtuse, 3-lobed, narrowing towards base, 5-to 7-veined; tube ±4 mm long, loosely glandular hairy. Staminodes present, exserted from tube. Style furcate. Cypsela and pappus as in disc florets. Disc florets many, corolla ±6 mm long, slightly longer than pappus; tube glandular hairy in lower half; lobes distinctly erect, laxly glandular hairy and with marginal resin ducts. Anthers 1.5 mm long, exserted, with triangular apical appendages. Style dark red, distinctly exserted; style branches 1.2-1.4 mm long, style appendages ±0.3 x 0.2 mm. Cypselae fusiform, 5.5-6.0 x 1.5 mm, bright brown, 4-or 5-ribbed, with shiny glands and dense 0.5 mm long twin hairs; epicarp smooth. Pappus biseriate, outer series of few free, delicate, barbellate bristles, 0.55-1.55 mm long, white; inner series of white plumose bristles up to 5.3 mm long, barbellate basally.