Perennial herb 5–70 cm high, with 1–several stems arising from a woody underground stem 1–5 cm in diameter; stems erect, rigid, slightly woody at the base, slightly branched, reddish, terete, striate, viscid-pilose with short glandular hairs, rarely almost glabrous.. Leaves distant, sessile or with a short petiole to 6 mm long, near the base of the plant opposite and obovate or narrowly obovate, more distally alternate, larger and elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate, 2–7 cm long, 0.2–3 cm wide, attenuate to cuneate at the base, the margins entire to sinuate-toothed, rounded to acute at the apex, shortly glandular-hairy and slightly scabrid, rarely subglabrous.. Capitula 5–8 mm long (to 22 mm with rays or fruit), solitary on a capitulum stalk 3–34 cm long, sweet-smelling at anthesis, nodding in fruit, the capitulum stalk slightly glandular-hairy, usually without bracts; phyllaries 12–18, ± 1-seriate, ± equal, narrowly elliptic, 4–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, acute or acuminate, green tipped with reddish, sparsely hairy with white-scarious margins.. Ray florets the same number as the phyllaries, the rays 12–24 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, yellow to orange, occasionally with brown or purple markings beneath; disc florets numerous, up to 10 mm long, yellow, anthers yellow.. Achenes 13–20 mm long, green, 3-angular, 3-winged, the wings 3–6 mm wide, pale yellow turning crimson or purple, stiff and membranous, often undulate; distal cavity with 3 windows 1–2 mm long.
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