A compact, rounded shrub or small tree, 1.5-3 m in height (very rarely attaining 5 m) with a short main trunk 100-400 mm in diam. Stems 8-10 mm in diam., initially covered with a fine indumentum of densely crisped cinereous hairs becoming glabrescent to glabrous with age. Leaves oblanceolate to broadly oblanceolate, 120-250 mm long, 20-50 mm wide, tapering to a distinct petiolar region, 10-15 mm long, apices obtuse to rounded; very heavily coriaceous; covered with a fine crisped indumentum initially, soon glabrous, becoming glaucous or shiny olivaceous with age; margins horny, yellow to red, midrib prominent. Inflorescence broadly oblong-obconic, 70-130 mm long. Receptacle conic-depressed to convex 20-40 mm in diam. Involucral bracts 5-6 seriate; outer series ovate-acute, 10-30 mm long, outer surface sericeous, margins densely ciliate, apices broadly crinite with silvery or purple-brown pubescence; inner series narrowly oblong-obtuse to prominently spathulate, 60-100 mm long, 3-10 mm wide, outer surface sericeous, margins ciliate with silvery or purple-brown hairs, apices bearing a tufted beard of silvery or purple-brown hairs. Perianth straight, 65-90 mm long; tube 12 mm long, externally ridged, glabrous for the most part but sparsely sericeous distally and densely sericeous on outer lip; claws slender to filiform, 35-55 mm long, densely silvery velutinous; limbs linear 20-35 mm long, apices acuminate to prominently aristate, often coiled, thickly tomentose with white and purple-brown trichomes intermixed, particularly on the central flowers in the inflorescence. Anthers 3, on perianth sheath; anther on free perianth limb reduced to a staminode. Style 55-65 mm long, ancipitous, tapering terminally, puberulous in lower half becoming glabrescent to glabrous terminally. Pollen presenter 7-12 mm long, prominently geniculate at style junction, filiform-linear terminally. Ovary obconic 5 mm long, covered with long straight, tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales narrowly ovate, acute, 2 mm long. Primarily an autumn and early winter flowering species, P. lorifolia is at its peak between mid-April and June although odd flower-heads continue to open up until October.
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Shrub, erect, single trunk, 1.5-3.5 m high. Leaves petioled, curved upwards, broadly oblanceolate, 120-250 x 20-50 mm, rounded, glaucous, coriaceous, later glabrous, margins horny, yellow to red hairy. Flower head oblong-obconic, 70-130 x 25-50 mm. Involucral bracts 5-or 6-seriate, pale pink, imbricate, silky hairs, margins with dense cream-coloured to pink hairs, tips with white or purple-brown beard; outer series ovate-acute, 10-30 x 3-10 mm; inner series oblong, rounded, 60-100 x 3-10 mm, tip spathulate. Flowers 65-90 mm long, tube 12 mm long, awns with white and purple-black hairs; style 55-65 mm long, straight, base hairy; pollen presenter 7-12 mm long, threadlike, bent at base. Flowering time Apr.-June.
Rounded shrub or small tree to 3(-5) m. Leaves oblanceolate, glaucous. Flower heads oblong-obconic, 70-130 x 25-50 mm, involucral bracts pink or cream-coloured, silky with a short, white to dark beard.
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