Stems stout, sulcate, creeping, up to 2 dm. long; branches ascending, up to ± 15 cm. long, lfy, densely glandular-pubescent. Lvs in basal clusters and also distributed along branches. Lamina narrow-oblong to narrow-obovate in outline, (10)-15-20-(40) × (5)-15-20 mm., thick, fleshy, glandular-pubescent; pinnatifid to pinnatisect with flat petiole ± 1 cm. long widening to almost scarious sheath with evident veins. Pinnae up to c. 12 pairs, often again pinnately cut, ultimate segs very small, ± linear. Scape 3-6 cm. long; bracts several, lflike, lower up to c. 3 cm. long. Capitula (8)-10-15-20 mm. diam., receptacle slightly convex to hemispherical. Phyll. in 2-4 series; outer linear-subulate to narrow-spathulate, up to 6 mm. long; inner obovate, petiolate, to 5 mm. long; all clad in subappressed hairs and ± toothed. Florets black, ± glandular-pubescent, bearing scattered hairs; ♀ in 3-5 series, corolla cylindric, ± rugulose, 3-4-toothed; ♂ with long tube and 4-toothed limb. Achenes c. 3 mm. long, narrow-obovoid, rugulose.

Habit, rhizomes and roots as in C. dendyi. Leaves 2-pinnatifid, 2-8 × 0.5-1.3 cm; blade 1.5-6.0 cm long, obovate, coriaceous and subfleshy, grey-green tinted with red pigment especially on the primary and secondary axes, sparsely pilose, midrib not raised on ventral surface; pinnae 5-15 pairs, cut to rhachis, distal ones close-set or overlapping, broadly elliptic and divided, reducing to distant oblong simple proximal pinnae; secondary pinnae 0-9 per pinna, equally on distal and proximal sides, cut to midrib of pinna, oblong or obovate, with rounded apices, flat or upturned, occ. with 1 or 2 small lobes on either side. Peduncles scarcely longer than leaves, 3-12 cm, stout, pilose, with 4-10 evenly-spaced bracts; lowermost bracts scarcely smaller than leaves, reducing evenly to simple and oblong or little divided uppermost bracts. Monoecious. Heads 0.5-1.3 cm diam.; surface convex to paraboloid; involucre hemispherical or flat; phyllaries in 2-3 subequal rows, overtopped by mature florets, otherwise as in C. dendyi; pistillate florets 100-240 in several rows, 3.25-3.75 mm long, straight, pale yellow or very dark red and almost black; corolla ca. 5 times as long as wide, with equal, obvious and diverging teeth; staminate florets ca. equal in number. Achenes up to 1.8-2.8 × 0.8-1.0 mm, slightly compressed, in section almost round, pale brown or dark brown, deeply wrinkled. Flowers in summer.