Perennial herbs, up to 35 cm high, much branched from the base, stem slender, woody at base, tomentose to woolly, lower part sparsely glabrous, leaves linear or linear oblong, with acute to mucronate apex, margins entire or recurved 7-30 (-40) x 1-2 (-4) mm, scaberulous above, densely greyish-whitish woolly beneath or woolly on both surfaces, single-veined. Capitula many, white in terminal corymbs. Phyllaries (7-) 8-10 seriate, 55-80 (-100), outer ovate, lower part thickened, dark brown or entirely brown, middle one longest, ovate to elliptic, acute, 5-7 mm long, usually white above, inner ones ± oblong, smaller. In predominantly male capitula, bisexual florets (functionally male) 16-18 and 2-3 filiform female florets; in predominantly female capitula, female florets c. 40, and bisexual floret (functionally male) 3-5. Corollas 2.5-3.5 mm long, with glandular lobes. Cypselas of female florets c. 0.75 mm long, dark brown, papillose, oblong; pappus 2.8-3.5 mm, white, bristly.

A variable species, three varieties are recognized in our area.

Lower Taxa

• Anaphalis royleana var. cana Hook.f.
• Anaphalis royleana var. concolor Hook.f.
• Anaphalis royleana var. royleana