Perennial rhizomatous herb, 5–45 cm high; stems simple, erect, with conspicuous whitish arachnoid hairs throughout. Leaves crowded at base and cauline, elliptic-oblanceolate, 2.5–7 cm long, 3–22 mm wide, upper surface with scattered hispid and arachnoid hairs, usually with stipitate glands, sometimes also with sessile glands, or glands absent; apex acute to acuminate, sometimes mucronate. Capitula solitary, terminal, 2–5 cm diam.; involucral bracts elliptic, 0.5–2 cm long, yellow to gold (outer often brown), minutely scabrous on abaxial surface, apex acute to acuminate, outer bracts reflexed at maturity; florets yellow, female florets in a single outer series. Cypselas c. 2 mm long; pappus yellow, 5–9 mm long. Flowers Jan.–Mar.
VVP, GipP, EGU, HSF, HNF, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also NSW, ACT, Tas. Moderately common in moist alpine herbfields and grasslands, sometimes forming extensive colonies.
