Perennial herbs, usually woody at base, entirely woolly. Stem erect, densely covered with soft white woolly hairs, 18-45 (-55) cm tall, leafy usually much branched from the base. Leaves spreading linear lanceolate, acute or apiculate, semiamplexicaul, attenuate, densely woolly on both surfaces, sessile, with a flat or recurved margin, upper ones 8-30 x 0.5-2 mm, lower 10-40 x 1-3 mm. Capitula in compact corymbs, white, 2-4 x 2-6 mm, tomentose. Peduncle densely woolly, mostly shorter, 3-12 mm long; phyllaries whitish, sometimes lower part slightly reddish or brownish, glandular or papillose, loosely imbricate, 4-6-seriate exceeding the peduncle, slightly shiny, 2-4 x 1-1.7 mm, outermost woolly at base, obovate to oblong, middle and inner ones broadly ovate, obtuse to subobtuse, lower part thick brownish. Bisexual (functionally male) florets 22-29 in sub-male capitula with 2-4, female florets; female florets 4-26 in predominantly female capitula with 2-3, bisexual florets (functionally male), sometimes in homogamous capitula female florets are absent only functionally male bisexual florets are present. Corolla of female florets 1.5-2 mm long, filiform; of bisexual florets, 2-4-3.5 mm, tubular, lobes glandular. Cypselas of the female florets, oblong, brown, ±1 mm long, papillose pappus 2.5-3 mm long, setae ± bristly.

Fl.Per.: July-October.

Type: Tibet, 9000-13000 ft, T. Thomson s.n. (K!).

Grows on mountainous dry slopes between 2500-3500 m; Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Xizang and Bhutan.