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Leaves numerous, appressed-ascending to spreading; cauline leaves mostly 1.5–5 x 0.4–1.1 cm., elliptic, less often to 3.6 x 1.8 cm. and broadly elliptic-ovate, tapering to an acute ± apiculate apex and to a cuneate or a somewhat rounded base, shortly petiolate, margins entire or sometimes subserrate; lamina markedly discolorous, upper surface green sometimes drying brown, thinly silky pubescent or glabrescent, lower surface densely brownish-silvery-sericeous; nervation ± prominent beneath.
Phyllaries purplish or purple-tipped, few-seriate, longer towards the inside, the outer linear-lanceolate with a subulate-aristate tip, the inner up to c. 6 mm. long and oblong-lanceolate tapering to an acute, acuminate or aristate apex, sometimes ± abruptly contracted to a mucronate tip, appressed puberulous to glabrescent.
Achenes 2.5–3 mm. long, subcylindric, densely covered with silky-strigose hairs; outer pappus of very short linear-lanceolate scales; inner pappus of 4–5.5 mm. long, sordid to stramineous, barbellate setae.
Stems annual, many, simple or sometimes branched, strict, leafy, ribbed, sericeous; branches when present arising in leaf axils throughout the length of the stem, up to c. 20 cm. long.
An erect ± tufted perennial herb, 9–40(100) cm. tall from a woody rootstock; indumentum brownish-sericeous, hairs closely appressed T-shaped.
Corollas mauve or purple, 7–8 mm. long, funnel-shaped, deeply lobed, strigose-puberulent.
Capitula few to numerous in a terminal corymbiform cymose arrangement.
Involucres 4–6 mm. long, campanulate.
