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Leaves ± discolorous, membranous, stem-sheathing at the base, mostly 4.5–16 x 1–4 cm., narrowly oblong-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, ± tapering acute at the apex, cuneate to rounded below narrowing to a winged petiole-like midrib before grading into a cylindric, partially or deeply cleft, membranous sericeous-lanate sheath 5–20 mm. long, or sometimes lamina subsessile and subauriculate; margins finely sharply irregularly serrate, the serrations becoming linear teeth to c. 5 mm. long on the winged midribs and upper margins of the sheath; upper surface green often drying brown and sparsely finely appressed lanate or glabrescent; lower surface white araneose-sericeous; main nerves 10–16 on each side of the midrib, prominent beneath; reticulate tertiary venation inconspicuous.
Phyllaries numerous, appressed imbricate, coriaceous or ± cartilaginous, sparsely finely puberulous to glabrescent, margins very narrowly hyaline; the outer extending briefly onto the capitulum stalk, from c. 4 mm. long and narrowly ovate, increasing to c. 23 mm. long becoming lorate-lanceolate inside; middle phyllaries up to c. 6 mm. wide, obtuse at apex; inner phyllaries narrower.
Florets very numerous; corollas bright-or deep-red, up to c. 25 mm. long, with a long slender tube abruptly dilated into a short cylindric, deeply narrowly-lobed limb which exceeds the pappus and involucre, glabrous.
Achenes 10–15 mm. long, narrowly cylindric, obscurely narrowly many-ribbed, densely hispid; pappus of copious barbellate setae 10–17 mm. long.
Stems annual, 1-several, simple or sometimes branching near the apex, leafy to near the apex, white sericeous-lanate.
Involucres mostly 22–30 x 18–28 mm., spreading to c. 45 mm. wide, obconic-campanulate.
Capitula solitary, terminal, occasionally 2–4 on long stout stalks.
An erect suffrutex, 20–90 cm. tall, from a woody rootstock.
