Perennial herb, stock stout, woody, flowering stems several from the crown, simple or rarely forked, erect to c. 600 mm, loosely grey-woolly, leafy throughout. Radical leaves rosetted, c. 65 — 150 x 8—16 (—27) mm, oblong-lanceolate, apex acute, base broad, clasping, both surfaces loosely grey-woolly, upper surface also with long coarse hairs, wool ocasionally wanting with age; cauline leaves erect, imbricate, smaller than the radical, decreasing in size upwards, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, base half-clasping, very shortly decurrent, both surfaces loosely grey-woolly. Heads homogamous, campanulate, (6—) 7—8 mm long, several to many in a tight subglobose cluster up to 45 mm across, base of compound head webbed with wool. Involucrai bracts in c. 6 series, subequal, loosely imbricate, exceeding the flowers, radiating, glossy, bright yellow, outer sometimes tinged golden brown, all acute or inner sometimes subacute or subobtuse and this often associated with smaller (i.e. shorter) heads. Receptacle with fimbrils exceeding ovaries. Flowers 36—59. Achenes 1 mm long, barrel-shaped, glabrous. Pappus bristles many, about equalling the corolla, scabrid, bases cohering by patent cilia. Fig. 51: 3.