An undershrub, up to 1.5 m tall, branches hoary, terete obscurely striate. Leaves sessile, 1-7 x 0.3-2 cm, oblong-oblanceolate, mucronate, coriaceous, pubescent on both surfaces, margin entire or serrulate, obscurely dentate at the apex, strongly nerved, minutely pubescent on both surfaces. Capitula ovoid or campanulate, 3-5 mm in diameter, arranged in compound terminal corymbs; phyllaries 2-3 seriate, outer ones purple tinged at the apex, broadly, obovate, obtuse, entire, pubescent, 2.5-3.5 mm long, silky pubescent, inner linear entire, 4-6 mm long. Florets pink, outer female florets many, filiform, disc florets tubular, few, 4-18, bisexual but functionally male. Anthers caudate. Cypselas small, white, linear, glabrous; pappus setae 20-26, distinctly connate at base.

Fl.Per.: March-August.

Type: In India Orientali ad ripom Gangis prope cownpure (Kanpur) et in ripâ fl. Jummae Wallich et Hamilton (G-DC).

A common species of plains of Pakistan, ascending up to 800 m; Distribution: India, Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan), Afghanistan and N Africa.

Plant extract is used as a cooling agent in summer.