A robust erect perennial herb to c. 85 cm. tall from a woody rootstock, often flowering before, or with the young leaves. Stems annual scapiform, usually solitary, simple below the much branched synflorescence, with large leaves arising at or near the base and a few much smaller leaves on the stem above these, obscurely few-ribbed, densely brownish-tomentose. Leaves sessile; basal leaves ascending, up to c. 30 x 8 cm., oblanceolate to elliptic-oblanceolate, apex subacute to obtuse or rounded, gradually tapering in the lower half to a very narrowly winged midrib before widening to a ± stem-clasping base, margins serrate-dentate to subentire, upper surface thinly puberulous or glabrescent, lower surface pubescent to glabrescent and glandular-punctate, midrib large prominent and ± tomentose beneath; upper cauline leaves c. 10 x 2 cm., narrowly oblong-elliptic, decreasing in size upwards. Capitula numerous, in terminal clusters in a paniculate arrangement up to c. 25 cm. across, synflorescence branches up to c. 25 cm. long, tomentose, capitula stalks 0.1–7 cm. long. Involucres 10–20 x 12–20 mm., obconic-campanulate, spreading. Phyllaries ± loosely arranged, c. 4-seriate, extending briefly onto the capitulum stalk, longitudinally ribbed, tomentose where exposed, purple-tipped; outer phyllaries from c. 2 mm. long and subulate; middle phyllaries ovate-elliptic and ± recurved acuminate-attenuate at the apex; inner phyllaries narrower, up to c. 14 mm. long, elliptic-linear, tapering to a finely pointed, ± curved, 1–5 mm. long dp. Receptacle shallowly alveolate. Corollas purple, 7–11 mm. long, narrowly cylindric, widening slightly above, lobes with few to many sericeous hairs c. 1 mm. long. Achenes pale-brown or stramineous, 3–4 mm. long, narrowly subcylindric-turbinate, somewhat 4–5-angular, sparsely glandular puberulous; outer pappus short, consisting of few 1 -2 mm. long linear scales or paleaceous setae, inner pappus of whitish or sordid, barbellate to subplumose bristles 6–9 mm. long.