Shrub or small tree (0.75-)1.5-7.5 m tall, trunk up to 30 cm in diameter, bark grey or brown, smooth or stringy; stems densely pubescent with pale brown asymmetrically T-shaped hairs. Leaves petiolate, (broadly) elliptic to ovate, 4.8-36 cm long, 2.5-13.5 cm wide, base cuneate to subtruncate, margins sinuate-serrate or entire, often strongly undulate, apex shortly acuminate, apiculate, thinly pubescent or puberulous and ± glabrescent except on veins above, finely crispate-pubescent or tomentose beneath; petiole 0.5-6 cm long. Capitula numerous in large compound corymbiform cymes; stalks of individual capitula 3-25 mm, densely pubescent; involucre broadly ovoid-cylindrical to campanulate-cylindrical, 3-14 mm long; phyllaries 4-8-seriate, narrowly to broadly ovate, 1-10 mm long, obtuse and apiculate, green, greenish white or yellowish green, with dark green apices or appendages, ciliate on margins, distally glandular. Florets 10-26 per capitulum, scented; corolla white, sometimes tinged pale mauve, lilac or pink, 6.3-12 mm long, with capitate glands all over, lobes glabrous, 2.3-3.5 mm long. Achenes 2.5-4.2 mm long, 10-ribbed, glabrous, glandular between the ribs; outer pappus caducous, 1-4 mm long, inner pappus buff, stramineous or tawny, turning reddish, 6.5-8.5 mm long, distally spatulate.
