Tanacetum myrianthum Franchet, Bull. Annuel Soc. Philom. Paris, sér. 8, 3: 144. 1891; Chrysanthemum mairei (H. Léveillé) Handel-Mazzetti; C. myrianthum (Franchet) Y. Ling; C. myrianthum var. sericocephalum Handel-Mazzetti; C. myrianthum var. wardii (C. Marquand & Airy Shaw) Handel-Mazzetti; C. oresbium (W. W. Smith) Handel-Mazzetti; Dendranthema myrianthum (Franchet) Kitamura; T. mairei H. Léveillé; T. myrianthum var. wardii C. Marquand & Airy Shaw; T. oresbium W. W. Smith.

Herbs, perennial, 25-100 cm tall, with slender fibrous roots. Stems erect; upper parts pubescent. Middle stem leaves: petiole 0.3-1 cm; leaf blade ovate or oblong, 1.5-3 × 1-2.5 cm, abaxially white or gray-white, densely and thickly appressed pubescent, adaxially green, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, 2-pinnatisect; primary lateral segments 2-4-paired, at ca. 5 mm intervals; ultimate segments elliptic, lanceolate, or obliquely triangular. Upper stem leaves gradually smaller; leaves below synflorescence pinnatisect. Synflorescence a terminal flat-topped panicle, 3-5 cm in diam., rarely a compound corymb to 25 cm in diam. Capitula many. Involucres campanulate, 2.5-3 mm in diam.; phyllaries in 4 rows, scarious margin brown, apex rounded or obtuse, outer ones ovate, ca. 1 mm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent, middle and inner ones elliptic or lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm, middle ones abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Florets yellow, exterior with sessile glands; marginal female florets 3-6, corolla narrowly tubular, ca. 1.5 mm, apex (2-)4- or 5-denticulate; disk florets many, corolla tubular, ca. 2 mm. Achenes ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.

Mountain slopes, river valleys; 2200-3600 m. Gansu, Hubei, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan].