Erect herb 0.9-1.2 m tall (to 4 m fide Kalanda & Lisowski); stems densely closely tomentose with ± unequally T-shaped hairs. Leaves sessile, ovate to lanceolate, 5.5-23 cm long, 1.6-7 cm wide, base rounded to cuneate-attenuate, margins obscurely sinuate-serrate with apiculate teeth especially towards the apex, apex shortly and obscurely acuminate, apiculate, sparsely pubescent or hispid above, densely tomentose or arachnoid-pubescent beneath. Capitula in sometimes copious terminal scorpioid cymes, stalks of individual capitula densely tomentose; involucre turbinate, 8-11 mm long, 7-10 mm in diameter at flowering time; phyllaries 4-6-seriate, grey-tomentose except at purplish-tinged apex, lanceolate, shortly pungent, the inner to 7 mm long, with a few fine subapical hairs or glabrous. Corolla purple, tube infundibuliform, 3-3.5 mm long, lobes 1.5-1.8 mm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, with sparse hairs. Achenes 2.5-3.3 mm long, 4-5-ribbed, shortly and sparsely ascending-pubescent; outer pappus of lanceolate scales 0.5-1 mm long, inner pappus usually white, 5.5-7 mm long.
