An erect, up to 1.5 m tall perennial herb. Stems many from the base, shallowly to deeply grooved, glabrous, younger shoots hairy. Leaves almost sessile, simple, lamina narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 9-15(-16) x 1-3.5 cm, undivided, serrate, teeth incurved, gland-tipped, hoary tomentose beneath, glabrous-green above, gradually attenuate and setose-auricled at the base, apex long acuminate. Capitula numerous, heterogamous, ± pendulous, c. 3-4 mm across, peduncles 1-1.5 mm long, in 20-35 x 5-6 cm panicle with suberect lateral branches up to 5 x 1 cm. Involucre 3-4-seriate, outermost phyllaries narrowly ovate, slightly hairy outside, c. 3 x 1.25 mm, ciliate on membranous margins, acute; innermost elliptic-oblong, 3.5-4 x c. 1.5 mm, glabrous, margins broadly membranous. Receptacle glabrous, ± convex, c. 1 mm in diameter. Florets up to 25, all fertile; marginal florets female, 8-10 with 2-toothed, c. 1 mm long corolla, style branches flat; disc-florets bisexual, 12-15, with 5-toothed urceolate, c. 1.5 mm long, pale, glabrous, basally constricted corolla, anther appendages ± obtuse, exserted. Cypselas terete or cylindrical, c. 1 mm long, smooth.

Fl. Per.: July-September.

Holotype: ‘ In Nemoribus excelsis Pirpundjal’ Floret fructum que profer medio, Septembre, Jacquemont s. n. (P).

Distribution: Endemic to Pakistan (North West Frontier Province) and Kashmir.

This species can be easily differentiated from all others in the region by its simple, serrate leaves which are hoary-tomentose beneath and glabrous green above, appearing like Salix leaves from a distance. The closest allies of A. amygdalina Decne. are Chinese endemics, A. anomala S. Moore and A. viridissima Pamp. The evidence of the close relationship of these two species is found chiefly in the leaf and achene morphology. A. anomala S. Moore differs from it in shorter and elliptic leaves whereas A. viridissima Pamp. has leaves which closely resemble those of A. amygdalina Decne. in shape and size.