Shrub or tree to 4 m tall; stems tomentose, with thin petiolar wings. Leaves alternate, to 25 cm long, the larger ones sinuate-lobed, minutely callose-denticulate, the midvein prominent, elevated beneath, the minor venation sometimes appearing reticulate beneath, above scabridulous with short, stout-based hairs, beneath softly tornentose with short, verrucose hairs; petiole cuneiform-winged to near the base, mostly distinct from the blade, concaulescent and forming thin wings on the stem in the region of the inflorescence. Inflorescence a large, open, many-headed panicle, somewhat flattened; branches stout, tomentulose with short whitish or yellowish-brown hairs; foliose bracts present, scalelike bracteoles sometimes present on the ultimate peduncles, sometimes subtending the head and appearing as part of the involucre, the basal portion of the leaves sometimes concaulescent and forming pairs of green lines between the nodes. Heads small, ca. 5 mm high, ca. 4 mm across, radiate; involucral bracts in several unequal series, imbricate, appressed, acute, dorsally pubescent; paleas scarious, folded over the florets, the keel ciliate; ray florets about 8, white, the ligule elliptical, entire, 2-3 mm long, the tube pilose, ca. 1.5 mm long, the ovary lenticular, laterally compressed, ciliate and pubescent on one side, pappus of two small, strigose awns, the dorsal awn the largest; disc florets several, 4-5 mm long, the corolla tubiform, the lower portion pilose, the lobes ventrally papillose, the anthers dark, apically light-appendaged, basally truncate, the style branches truncate, penicillate with a short appendage, the stigmatic lines well marked, the style base expanded-globose, situated against the stout, cylindrical nectary, the ovary laterally compressed-lenticular, sparingly pubescent except apically, the shoulders with 1 or 2 stout, short awns. Achene body black, 2.5 mm long, 4-angled, slightly compressed, those of the margins with large, white, tubercular-based trichomes, those of the disc mostly smooth, the wings ca. 1-4 mm wide, white, minutely striate; pappus of two unequal, strigose, short awns.
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