Very variable annual or perennial herb. Stems twining, hairy to glabrescent, up to 4 m long. Leaves cordate-ovate, 20-80 x 15-70 mm, entire, apex mucronate and attenuate-acuminate to obtuse, basal lobes and sinus rounded, thinly hairy on both surfaces; petiole pilose, 13-80 mm long. Inflorescence a dense head; peduncle 20-120 mm long; outer bracts connate into large pubescent foliaceous boat-shaped involucre 30-60 mm long, 8-15 mm wide, with 2 cusps; inner bracts small, linear-oblong to obovate, flowers few- to many, shortÂly pedicellate. Sepals sparsely hairy or glabresÂcent; outer ones lanceolate, acute, ±12 mm long; inner ones shorter and ovate. Corolla funÂnel-shaped, purple, rose-red, mauve, white or white with pink throat, 30-50 mm long and wide; midpetaline areas minutely pilose. Capsule glabrous, globose, 6 mm wide. Seeds pubescent or glabrous, blackish, 3.5-4.0 mm long. Flowering time December to September.
