Perennial, decumbent stoloniferous herbs, up to 25 cm high; stolons slender, elongate, naked or sometimes distantly squamate, usually with sterile branches, terminating in the loose rosette of leaves. Basal leaves lanceolate or linear lanceolate, acute to subacuminate 7-25 mm long. Inflorescence bracts lanceolate to oblong elliptic, 8-22 x 2-6 mm, radiating, forming a conspicuous star-like structure, different in colour and texture of indumentum from the cauline leaves, densely whitish, rarely brownish tomentose; usually dark brown at the apex. Capitula in terminal clusters, 4-10 (-15), all female or predominantly male or female; phyllaries 2-3-seriate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-5 mm long, brown, scarious above, acute. Cypselas pubescent or subglabrous c. 1 mm long; pappus setae white, plumose.

Fl.Per.: July-October.

Syntypes: Haute region de l'Himalaya, entire 39000-53000.Gurhwal, sons nom de localite (Falconer, No. 582, specimina femineae, G); Kumaum, glacier de Ralam (Duthie, 26 Aug. 1884, Spec. fem. G-Boiss.); Nepal, moraine du glacier du Yalung, Camp II, vers 5250 m. (Jacot-Guillarmod, 6 Sept. 1905, Spec. fem. et masculae, G).

Grows between 2200-4000 m on grassy slopes and open ground; Distribution: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Xizang, Mynamar and China.