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Stems annual, 1-several, simple or sparsely branched above, leafy, ribbed, ± coarsely pubescent and glandular, more densely so towards the apex, pilose below; indumentum a mixture of ± appressed short-stalked hairs and long patent hairs, the hairs flagelliform with an often purplish stalk and an elongate terminal cell.
Leaves subsessile, to 10 x 2 cm., narrowly oblanceolate, apex obtuse, base tapering-cuneate, margins subserrate with callose-tipped teeth but entire near the base, lamina scabridulous-pilose and glandular on both surfaces; the hairs scattered, patent, flagelliform, becoming rigid below; venation not raised reticulate.
Achenes (immature) c. 2 mm. long, ribbed, strigose-hispid; pappus several-seriate, copious, somewhat caducous, setae increasing in length to c. 8 mm. long on inside, somewhat flattened and barbellate on the margins.
Corollas purple or mauve, to c. 15 mm. long, slender tubular in lower two thirds abruptly widening into a cylindric limb exserted above the pappus.
Rootstock producing 2–5 subsessile root-tubers; tubers up to 3 x 1.5 cm., subfusiform, tapering into long thong-like roots.
An erect slender perennial herb, to c. 37 cm. tall from a small woody rootstock.
Capitula solitary and terminal on stems, or 2–3 on short branches.
Involucres 9–11 x 11–18 mm., broadly obconic or cup-shaped.
Florets c. 20 per capitulum.
