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Achenes pale-to reddish-brown, c. 2.5 mm. long, narrowly subcylindric, truncate at apex, slightly narrowed to base, obscurely c. 5-ribbed, uniformly white strigose, glandular; outer pappus of short white scales shortly fimbriate apically or of small brownish deeply fimbriate lanceolate scales; inner pappus of 9–17 green or greenish-brown setae 6–7 mm. long, seta barbs appressed-ascending and decreasing in size and number towards the seta bases, or the barbs bristle-like and subplumose, ascending-patent and not diminishing to seta base.
Phyllaries numerous, progressively longer towards the inside, the midribs continued as an apical bristle c. 1 mm. long, or apex finely attenuate, the lamina brownish-to whitish-pubescent below and brownish-hispid towards the apex, becoming somewhat scabridulous; the outer phyllaries subulate to lanceolate, the inner narrowly strap-shaped, narrowly acute or attenuate to the apex.
Leaves of upper stem up to 6 x 1 cm., oblanceolate to very narrowly elliptic, remotely serrulate on the margins becoming ± revolute, cuneate to the base; upper surface scabridulous, lower surface ± puberulous; lower leaves similar but decreasing in size, the lowermost soon withering.
Stems strict, becoming laxly branched and longitudinally ribbed or angular above; branches up to c. 30 cm. long, pubescent, ribbed.
Capitula many, c. 3 per branch, corymbiform cymose; stalks sometimes dark-purple, slender, 1–8 cm. long.
Involucres 8–12 mm. long, exceeding the pappus at anthesis, campanulate-obconic, later spreading.
Corollas purple, reddish-mauve or creamy-white, 8–10 mm. long, narrowly funnel-shaped.
An erect slender annual herb, up to c. 85 cm. tall.
