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Leaves ± discolorous, ± ascending, stem-sheathing at the base; mostly 6–24 x 2–7 cm., lanceolate-elliptic, acute at the apex, rounded to cuneate below and usually narrowing to a winged petiole-like midrib 1–25 mm. long, before grading into a cylindrical, membranous, sericeous-lanate sheath 10–20 mm. long, or lamina base amplexicaul passing directly into a deep funnel-shaped sheathing base; margins finely sharply serrulate; upper surface green and glabrous, lower surface white araneose-sericeous; main nerves 6–10 on each side of the midrib, impressed on upper surface, prominent beneath, tertiary venation finely reticulate and prominent on both surfaces though ± obscured by indumentum beneath.
Phyllaries numerous, coriaceous, glabrous, finely striate, margins narrowly hyaline, from 4 mm. long and triangular-ovate outside, increasing to c. 24 mm. long and oblanceolate-lorate inside; middle phyllaries up to c. 8 mm. wide, oblong and ± expanded in the upper part, rounded at the 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 7–11 mm. long, narrowly cylindric, obscurely narrowly many-ribbed, hispid; pappus of copious barbellate setae 7–17 mm. long.
Capitula solitary, terminal, occasionally 2–4, on short to long stout stalks, sometimes subsessile in one or more leaf axils.
Stems annual, 1-several, simple or sometimes branching at the apex, leafy, white sericeous-lanate.
Involucres mostly 20–35 x 12–20 mm., spreading to c. 55 mm. wide, obconic-campanulate.
An erect suffrutex 18–80 cm. tall, from a woody rootstock.
