a bush 3–4 ft. high; branches finely tomentellous when young, then glabrous, with reddish bark; leaves 4–4 1/2 in. long, 1 1/2–1 3/4 in. broad, obovate to oblong-obovate, obtuse, sometimes subapiculate, stoutly coriaceous, ciliate and villous at the base, usually at length quite glabrous; heads sessile, 5 in. long, 3–5 in. in diam.; involucral bracts 9–11-seriate; outer ovate-oblong, obtuse, silky pubescent, generally bearded at the apex, inner much elongated, oblong-spathulate, obtuse, whitish, silky pubescent or upwards tomentose with a dense reddish-brown beard, 4–5 lin. long; perianth-sheath very slender, membranous, 2 1/4 in. long, gradually dilated and faintly 7-nerved and 3-keeled below, densely pubescent above the dilated part; lip 1 in. long, densely pubescent, villosulous above, 3-awned, lateral awns 5 lin. long, linear, acuminate, tomentose with penicillate tips; median awn 1 1/2 lin. long; stamens all fertile; anthers linear, 3 lin. long; filaments 3/4 lin. long, flattened concave; apical glands 3/4 lin. long, linear-oblong; ovary 2 lin. long, oblong, covered with numerous long golden hairs; style 2 1/2 in. long, gently curved, laterally flattened, somewhat swollen above the ovary, pubescent in the lower third; stigma 3 lin. long, linear, suddenly bent at the junction with the style. null
