Erect shrubs to 2 m tall, sulcate-striate, much branched, branches finely short crisp hairy, later glabrate. Leaves thick chartaceous, obovate, 2.3-8×1-4 cm, upper surface minutely puberulent, lower surface loosely puberulent to nearly glabrous, veinlets distinct, apex acute to mucronate, margins acutely dentate, base attenuate, sessile or very short petiolate. Heads narrowly cylindric to campanulate, ca. 5-6 mm in diam. when fresh, to 9-10 mm in diam. in dried specimen, 6-7 mm long, peduncle sessile to 10 mm long, in dense terminal and axillary corymbs. Involucre ovate, 4-6 mm long, bracts 6-7 seriate, outer ones obtuse, 2-2.5×1.5 mm, margins ciliolate; inner bracts lanceolate to linear, obtuse, 4-6×0.25-1 mm, entire. Receptacle densely hirsutulous. Outer florets numerous, corolla 3-5 mm long; style greatly exserted; pappus white, 5 mm long, slightly exceeding corolla; achenes brown, cylindric, with 5-7 pale ribs, slightly curved, 1×0.3 mm, nearly glabrous. Central florets 2-7, corolla 4.5-5.5 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes glandular; anthers and style greatly exserted; pappus white, as long as corolla; achenes vestigial. Chromosome number, 2n = 20 (Peng et al., 1998).

TAIPEI: Tanshui, Yang 876; Chuwei, Peng 4507. TAOYUAN: Lungtan, Kao s. n. 1991. HSINCHU: Hungmao, Ou & Kao 8850. MIAOLI: Chunan, Lin 583; Yuanli, Jeng 482. TAICHUNG: Shenkang, Peichuang, Wang 1824. CHANGHUA HSIEN: Fangyuan, Wangkung, Yen 10219. YUNLIN: Peihsili, Shih 125; Taihsi, Wang 2539. CHIAYI: Tungshih, Peng 6206; Putai, Kuoh 11000. TAINAN: Szutsao, Wang 891; Chiku, Peng 13175. KAOHSIUNG: Hunei, Peng 14816; Yenchao, Yuehshihchieh, Peng 13444. PINGTUNG: Checheng, Szuchunghsi, Peng 6821; Mutan, Hsuhai to Tungyuan, Wang 2104. TAITUNG: Taimali, Wang & Lin 1376.

India, Thailand, Indochina, southern China, Japan, the Philippines, Malesia, northern Australia, the Hawaiian islands, often in brackish marshes and other saline habitats. Taiwan, widespread along the western coast, commonly in littoral areas such as mangrove and brackish swamps, tidal flats, occasionally in forests at low elevations.