An upright rather sparsely branched shrub or small tree 2-5 m in height with a single main trunk up to 300 mm in diam. Stems upright, 7-10 mm in diam., puberulous at first, later glabrescent. Leaves subpatent to patent, 60-100 mm long, 30-65 mm wide, narrowly to broadly ovate, occasionally oblong, prominently cordate to auriculate at base, apices acute; coriaceous, glabrous (margins very occasionally villous), usually glaucescent. Inflorescences obconic, 100-140 mm long, 80-120 mm in diam. at anthesis. Involucral receptacle conic-acute, 25-30 mm wide, 15-20 mm high. Involucral bracts 5-6 seriate, clearly differentiated into an inner and outer series, outer surface sericeous; outer series ovate to very broadly ovate, 10-15 mm wide, 10-15 mm long, apices rounded to acute, occasionally crinite, margins ciliate; inner series oblong to spathulate, 40-100 mm long, 8-15 mm wide, widely splayed at anthesis, apices usually crinite. Perianth straight, 85-100 mm long; tube region 10 mm long, inflated, prominently ridged, glabrous proximally, becoming puberulous distally; claws slender, puberulous; limbs linear, 20-30 mm long on adaxial sheath, sparsely puberulous but prolonged into densely villous awns, 15-25 mm long, tipped with purple trichomes, median awn slightly shorter than the two laterals; free abaxial limb 15 mm long, acuminate to shortly aristate, densely villous. Anthers 3, linear, subsessile, anther on free abaxial limb reduced to a staminode. Style 60-75 mm long, ancipitous and puberulous proximally, becoming glabrous and subterete distally. Pollen presenter very prominently geniculate at junction with style, linear, 6-8 mm long, apex minutely capitellate. Ovary obconic, 3 mm long, covered with 15 mm long tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales broadly ovate, 2 mm long. Flowering takes place chiefly in August, September and October, but sometimes commences as early as July and continues intermittently until December.
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Shrub, erect, sparsely branched, 2-5 m high. Leaves horizontal, ovate to oblong, 60-100 x 30-65 mm cordate at base, coriaceous, glaucous, glabrous. Flower head obconic, 100-140 x 80-120 mm in diam. Involucral bracts 5-or 6-seriate, pink to orange-brown, silky hairs outside, margins hairy; outer series ovate, imbricate, 10-15 x 10-15 mm, margins brown, rounded to acute; inner series widely splayed, oblong to spathulate, 40-100 x 8-15 mm, apex crinite, acute. Flowers 85-100 mm long, tube 10 mm long, awns extended with purple-black hairs; style 60-75 mm long, straight, base hairy; pollen presenter 6-8 mm long, linear, bent at base. Flowering time Aug.-Nov.
Like P. obtusifolia but leaves oblong-ovate, cordate at base, florets black-tipped.
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