Leaves glabrous, largest and crowded on the upper stem, 5–20 x 0.25–1.6 cm., linear-elliptic becoming linear-lanceolate and sessile towards the stem apex, attenuate above, entire or less often ± recurved acicular-dentate to lobed on the margins, attenuate and shortly sagittate at the base in lower leaves, becoming amplexicaul and subauriculate-sagittate in upper leaves; lobes up to c. 2 cm. long narrowly runcinate-triangular; ± well developed leafy axillary shoots usually present, at least in upper leaves, the young axillary growth densely brown-lanate later glabrescent.
Capitula subsessile or shortly stalked, 2-many ± aggregated in terminal clusters or in lax corymbiform cymes; mature capitula subtended by 1-several subsessile buds; the bases of the capitula as well as the subtending buds and the capitula stalks enveloped in a white persistent lanate indumentum, synflorescence branches and capitula stalks densely glandular-setose or glabrous.
Achenes reddish-brown, 2.5–3 mm. long, narrowly ellipsoid, somewhat flattened, c. 4-angular with ribs on the angles, smaller ribs developing in between, the main ribs becoming thickened and transversely rugulose, glabrous; pappus white, dimorphic, c. 11 mm. long composed of minutely barbellate setae intermixed with down-like hairs.
Phyllaries few-seriate, imbricate, white-lanate outside where exposed, glabrescent towards the apices, usually also glandular-setose outside; the outermost c. 4 mm. long, narrowly ovate; the innermost 10–13 x 1.5–2.5 mm., lanceolate, ± obtuse at the apices.
Stems trailing or scrambling to c. 3 m. long, or erect and up to c. 1.2 m. tall, mostly solitary, branched above, very leafy throughout becoming leafless below, terete hollow, sometimes ± glandular-setose above otherwise glabrous.
Corollas yellow, c. 10–13 mm. long, pubescent about the junction of the tube and ligule; ligule c. 3–4 mm. long, oblong.
Involucres c. 10–13 mm. long in fruiting capitula, cylindric later spreading, phyllaries eventually reflexed.
A weak-stemmed perennial herb with a semi-woody rootstock.
Florets numerous.