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Achenes pale-to reddish-brown, c. 2.5 mm. long, narrowly subcylindric, truncate at the apex, ± abruptly narrowed at the base, obscurely c. 5-ribbed, densely white strigose, glandular; outer pappus of pale-brownish short paleaceous scales, ciliate-fimbriate on the margins, sometimes strigose or hispid-scabrid outside; inner pappus of emerald-green setae 7–8 mm. long, copiously uniformly bristled from apex to base, the bristles ascending-patent, not decreasing in size and number towards the base.
Leaves largest about mid-stem, up to c. 8 x 1 cm., more usually c. 4 x 0.3 cm., linear-oblanceolate, obtuse and submucronate at the apex, attenuate to the base, remotely serrulate or subentire; upper surface puberulous to glabrescent; lower leaves soon withering; branch leaves c. 2 cm. long, lorate-oblanceolate.
Phyllaries numerous, progressively longer towards the inside; the outer phyllaries lanceolate and tomentellous-pubescent, the inner narrow and tapering to a ± blunt mucronulate apex, white-sericeous becoming brownish-strigose towards the apex.
Stems sparsely leafy, simple or becoming laxly branched, longitudinally ribbed; branches up to c. 60 cm. long, spreading, strongly ribbed, pubescent.
Capitula solitary on long branches, or 2(3) on stout stalks at the ends of branches, stalks often dark-purple at least below.
Involucres 9–11 mm. long, broadly campanulate to obconic-spreading, ± rounded at the base, silvery-white tomentellous.
Corollas white, cream or reddish-mauve, seldom purple, 10–12 mm. long, gradually tapering to the base.
An erect annual herb 30–80 cm. tall.
