Similar to F. desertorum in ramification but branches often long and with few leaves. Leaves spathulate, indistinctly petiolate, tomentose, tomentum variable, often glabrescent on upper surface, sometimes rather densely sericeous-tomentose on both surfaces; leaves crowded below the glomerules. Capitula c. 12-25 in dense nearly hemisphaerical glomerules surrounded by 7-15 stellately arranged leaves, as long as or longer than the capitula. Involucre 4-5.5 mm long, ± terete; phyllaries c. 4-seriate, membranous, mucronate to acute, sparsely hairy, the innermost glabrous and obtuse. Female florets in the axils of the outer phyllaries, lacking in the penultimate series, in the center few (2-5) bisexual and many (8-30) female florets. Cypselas 0.8-1 mm long, in the central florets; pappus setae 2.5 mm long.

Fl.Per.: March-October.

Holotype: India: Hurdwar et Rikeesh, Wallich 2951/61 (G-DC!), Isotype: (K-W!).

Grows from plains to 3500 m, among rocks, amongst stones, dry water courses and boulder fields; Distribution: Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and C. Asia.

Although rather variable in some characters (type of indumentum, size of glomerules) the species is easily recognized by the structure of the involucre.