An erect or suberect perennial herb or a shrub 40–60(90) cm. high. Branches obtusely 4-gonous and deeply furrowed upwards, cylindric towards the base, sparsely strigillose, the bristles short, appressed, longer at the nodes; intemodes 4–17 cm. long. Leaf-lamina 5–13(16) x 1·5–6·5(7·5) cm., ovate to narrowly elliptic, acute at the apex, acute or roundish at the base, membranous to somewhat rigid, dark green above, paler beneath, ± appressed-strigose on both faces, the bristles on the upper face prolonged by white raised lines, longitudinally 5–7-nerved, the longitudinal nerves impressed above, prominent beneath, the transverse ones inconspicuous above, ± conspicuous beneath, very oblique; petiole 0·5–3 cm. long, slender, somewhat compressed, strigose. Flowers ± numerous, in dense heads surrounded by the upper leaves and by foliaceous bracts; inner bracts closely sheathing the receptacle, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, scarious, ciliate at margin, glabrous or strigose on the back along the median line. Receptacle c. 10 x 5 mm., cylindric or ovoid-cylindric, surrounded by long whitish bristles at the very base. Sepals 6–7 x 2·5–3 mm., triangular-subulate, ciliate; intersepalar segments 0. Petals 20 x 15 mm., widely obovate, light mauve to violet. Long stamens: anthers 7–8 mm. long, lanceolate-subulate, purple; pedoconnective 5–6 mm. long with the 2 anterior appendages 2 mm. long. Short stamens: anthers 6–7 mm. long, lanceolate, yellow; pedoconnective c. 0·75 mm. long. Fructiferous receptacle c. 13–15 x6–7 mm., urceolate, cream-coloured to greyish. Seeds c. 0·75 mm. long, indistinctly tuberculate.