Perennial herbs or subshrub, erect, 1-2.5 m tall. Stems striate, green, woody at base, hollow in center, 1-25 cm in diam., glabrate or puberulous particularly on younger parts and in inflorescence, usually unbranched except for inflorescence. Leaves herbaceous, dark green on upper surface, narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 20-30×4-8 cm, base attenuate into auricled petiole, apex acuminate, margins minutely serrate-dentate, upper surface often rugose and glabrous, lower surface glabrate or puberulous with sparse multicellular hairs, veins 14-16 pairs. Heads numerous, 7.5-8.5 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm across, terminal, in a pyramidal panicle. Involucre campanulate-globose, bracts in 2 or 3 series; outer ones shorter, ovate-lanceolate to linear, 6.5-7.5×0.5 mm, with prominent scarious margins, margins and apices ciliate. Receptacle flat, 1.5-2.5 mm across, alveolate, fimbriate or densely pilose. Central florets yellowish, 6.5-7.5 mm long, with 5 broadly triangular lobes, lobes with sessile glands and remote multicellular hairs. Outer florets 6-7 mm long, 2-3 lobed, glabrous. Anthers sagittate, tailed. Achenes oblong, 1×0.3-0.4 mm, 10-ribbed, pubescent. Pappus pale to yellowish-white, 5 mm long. Chromosome number, 2n = 18 (Peng & Hsu, 1978).

TAIPEI: Wulai, Peng 8370; Nankangshan, Peng 9030. ILAN: Nanao, Peng 13773; Suao, Huang 5057. TAOYUAN: Hsiayunping, Peng 10296. NANTOU: Kuantaohsi, Hsu 10611. CHIAYI: Chiehtung, Peng 8876; Fanlu, Ho 1128. TAINAN: Tsengwen Reservoir, Kuo 11300. KAOHSIUN: Taoyuan, Ho 930. PINGTUNG: Hengchun, Sasaki s. n. 1911. TAITUNG: Lanyu Is., Leu 1390. HUALIEN: Taroko, Peng 9317.

Southern and southeastern Asia, and China. Taiwan, forests at lower elevations.