Description from Flora of China
Rhizome thickish, woody, ascending, upper parts densely with withered leaves, with rosette leaves and densely caespitose flowering stems and sterile stems. Stems erect or ascending, 20-50 cm, lower parts woody, persistent, simple or branching at base or broken stems, with yellow capitate-stalked glandular hairs, arachnoid tomentose at lower parts, densely leafy. Rosette leaves obovate or oblong, ca. 1.5 × 0.5 cm, both surfaces ash-gray cottony tomentose. Lower cauline leaves caducous and lost by anthesis; middle leaves somewhat expanding, oblong or linear-lanceolate, 3-7 × 0.3-1 cm, base equilateral, decurrent on stems and becoming a narrow or cuneate wing, margin flat, apex acute, with conspicuous cusp; leaves becoming smaller upward, erect or somewhat expanding, lanceolate-linear, acuminate, with withered scarious long cusp; all leaves yellow-green, thin, with stalked glandular hairs on both surfaces, 3-veined, hairs around veins considerably long. Capitula numerous, dense, compound corymbiform, terminal on stems and branches; peduncle slender. Involucre broadly campanulate, ca. 7 × 5-8 mm; phyllaries 4- or 5-seriate; outer phyllaries broadly ovate, ca. 3.5 mm, cottony tomentose; middle ones yellow-white, oblong, ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, base fulvous, apex obtuse or rounded; innermost ones oblong, ca. 5.5 mm, with a claw ca. 1/3 of full length. Receptacle with fimbrillate short hairs. Center of predominantly female capitula with female florets and 1-3 male florets; predominantly male capitula with male florets only. Corolla 4-4.5 mm. Pappus almost as long as corolla, male florets pappus incrassate at tip of apex, dentate. Achene oblong, ca. 1 mm, sparsely papillate. Fl. Jul-Sep.
● Subalpine or low hill grasslands, between rocks; 1800-3600 m. SW Sichuan (Chawalong, Jiulong, Muli), NW Yunnan.