Stout subshrub; stems woody, ± 10 cm. diam.; branches stout, us. rather close-set, erect or ascending, clad in lf-remains; living Ivs rosulate at tips of branchlets. Lamina coriac., ± 4–8–(10) cm. × 10–15 mm.; narrowly obovate-spathulate to obovate-oblong, subacute to obtuse, us. minutely apiculate; upper surface glab., veins ± distinct; lower surface clad in dense appressed white satiny tomentum, midrib dark, prominent; margins sinuate, distantly furnished with glandular denticles, narrowed cuneately to petiole then widening to nearly glab. sheath c. 10 mm. long. Scape rather slender to rather stout, ± 15–20 cm. long, rather densely clad in viscid glandular hairs; bracts us. many; lower up to 3 cm. long, lflike, ± lanceolate, apiculate; upper linear-oblong. Capitula 2–3–(4) cm. diam.; phyll. ∞, lower bractlike, ± 12 mm. long, narrowlanceolate, acuminate, densely clad in glandular hairs; upper linear-subulate. Ray-florets ± 15 mm. long, limb narrow-oblong; disk-florets tubular, c. 5–6 mm. long. Achenes narrow-cylindric, ± compressed. 1–1·5 mm. long; ribs very densely clad in short silky hairs. Pappus-hairs up to 6 mm. long, sordid-white, hardly barbellate.
[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]