Tufted herb with stout woody simple or sparingly branched stock; lf-sheaths densely imbricating, forming a pseudo-stem. Lamina coriac., narrow- to narrowly obovate-oblong, ± 6–12–(1·5) × 1·5–2.5–(4) cm., obtuse or subacute; upper surface glab. or nearly so; lower densely clad in appressed white satiny tomentum; both with evident midrib; margins very slightly recurved, bluntly (sts apiculately) crenate-sinuate, narrowed to petiole of diverse dimensions; sheath strongly ribbed, glab. or very nearly so, c. 5 × 1 cm. Scape ± 15–25–(40) cm. long. glab., glandular-viscid, purplish, stout; bracts linear, lamina ± 25–40 mm. long, apiculate, clad below in white satiny tomentum. Capitula 25–40 mm. diam.; phyll. ∞, linear-subulate, glab., viscid, up to c. 15 mm. long, ± hairy at tip. Ray-florets c. 15–20 mm. long, narrow; disk-florets 7–8 mm. long, funnelform, teeth narrow-triangular, c. 1 mm. long. Achenes compressed-cylindric, c. 6 mm. long, strongly grooved, with appressed silky hairs on ribs. Pappus-hairs slender, up to c. 6 mm. long, white to sordid-white, barbellate.
[From: Allan (1961) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1.]