 The upper surface is sparsely to densely set with ½–2 mm (0.02-0.08 in) long stiff white hairs, while the lower surface is whitish felty hairy except on the midvein.The flower heads can be found on their own at the end of the branches, and are enveloped in an involucre, whose bracts are merged at their base only, with short, soft, silky white hairs and long, stiff white hairs with striping along their lengths.These involucres become woody with age, and the entire flower heads detach from the mother plant with the fruits (or cypselas) inside them.