Shrub or small tree 2-6 m tall; bark dark grey, rough, longitudinally fissured or corrugated; stems densely tomentose with asymmetrically T-shaped hairs. Leaves petiolate, elliptic to ovate, 6.5-23 cm long, 2.6-9 cm wide, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire or minutely sinuate-denticulate, apex obscurely acuminate, apiculate, dark green and glossy, glabrous except for midrib above, white- or grey-tomentellous or less often -pubescent beneath; petiole 1.3-4 cm long. Capitula numerous in dense terminal compound corymbiform cymes; stalks of individual capitula 3-15 mm, densely pubescent; involucre 4.5-6(-14?) mm long, cylindrical in the north, ovoid in the south; phyllaries 5-6-seriate, erect, appressed, green or grey, glossy, the outer shortest, broadly ovate to elliptic, obtuse to rounded, obscurely apiculate, the innermost 4.3-5.6 mm long. Florets 4-20 per capitulum; corolla white, 5.5-8.5 mm long, lobes glabrous, 2.2-3 mm long. Achenes 3-5 mm long, obscurely 5-7-ribbed, glabrous, glandular between the ribs; outer pappus of oblong to linear laciniate scales 0.5-1.5 mm long, inner pappus whitish or pale yellow, 5-9 mm long.