Perennial. Stems trailing or decumbent, up to 1 m long, with dense appressed white tomentum. Lvs entire and toothed or lyrate-pinnatifid, densely silvery white-tomentose, petiolate, (3)-6-15 × 1-3.5 cm; terminal lobe ovate; lateral lobes oblong, alternate. Capitula solitary on long erect peduncles. Involucre 2-3 cm diam. Involucral bracts in 5 series, brownish, scarious, woody at base; outermost bracts narrowed into a tomentose linear appendage (1)-3-7 mm long; inner bracts oblong or obovate, tomentose in centre, scarious on margins. Ligules c. 3 cm long, cream, yellow, orange, brick-red or purple. Disc florets dark purplish. Achenes broadly obconic, with 2 furrows on 1 side, 2.5-4 mm long, densely villous with white to yellowish hairs. Pappus scales brown, scarious, oblong, up to 6 × 1.5 mm.