Erect, simple or sparingly branched, herb to 40 cm high, renewed annually from thickened persistent rootstock; stems woolly or cobwebbed, rarely glabrescent. Leaves sparsely to densely hairy, rarely glabrescent, margins flat to revolute, entire; basal leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3–13(–20) cm long, 5–15(–30) mm wide, petiolate, base amplexicaul, apex acute; cauline leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 1–5(–10) cm long, 2–10(–15) mm wide, sessile, stem-clasping, apex acuminate. Capitula hemispherical, mostly 20–40 mm diam., usually solitary; peduncles 4–10 cm long; involucral bracts with linear, glandular claws; lamina more or less ovate, scarious, virtually flat, smooth, shiny, apex retuse or obtuse; intermediate bracts 7–15 mm long, with claws shorter than the lamina; inner bracts long-clawed. Florets yellow or orange; ray florets 20–40, 15–30 mm long; disc florets numerous. Cypselas 2–4 mm long; pappus bristles 20–40, shortly connate at base, 6–10 mm long. Flowers Aug.–Feb.

LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, HSF, HNF, VAlp. Occurs also SA, Qld, NSW and Tas. Scattered widely throughout much of Victoria, including the incursions into more arid areas and the sub-alps, in a wide range of habitats.

Previously confused with P. jaceoides, but that species has acute to shortly acuminate intermediate involucral bract apices.

Athrixia