Perennial herb to 25(–35) cm high; stems green to purplish, striate, densely white-pubescent. Leaves rosulate and cauline; proximal leaves petiolate (sessile in Kenyan material), the midrib and apex purple-brown, linear to narrowly spatulate, 1–12 cm long, 0.3–1.2 cm wide, obtuse to acute, cilate and with dense crispate hairs on both surfaces, but occasionally the oldest leaves glabrescent; cauline leaves up to 11(–16), lanceolate. Capitula 7–13 mm long, 1–3(–10) in lax corymbs; peduncle in Kenyan material up to 3 cm long, elsewhere much longer, densely pubescent; phyllaries green, distally lilac to purple, 35–80, linear-lanceolate, 5–9 mm long, 1–1.3 mm wide, acute, pubescent. Florets trimorphic; ray florets 60–150, pale purple, the tube ± 2.5 mm long, the rays 3.5–6 mm long, 0.5–1.2 mm wide, style ± 5.2 mm long; disc florets many, yellow, the outer female and filiform, 5.5–7.5 mm long with styles 3–4 mm long, the inner hermaphrodite with a tube of 4.5–4.8 mm long and lobes 0.25–0.4 mm long, anthers 1.2–1.5 mm long, style 5–5.5 mm long. Achenes 1–2 mm long; pappus with setae 3–6 mm long.