Herbs, usually woody at base, with erect or decumbent stems, (10-) 15-40 cm, usually branched, branches and stem usually covered with dense white cottony tomentum. Leaves usually numerous, more often crowded at base, narrowly linear or oblong, auricled at base, acute, densely woolly on the lower surface, less on the upper side, margins often revolute, 10-30 (-40) x 1-5 mm. Capitula subglobose, 3-4.5 (-5) mm in diameter, arranged in rounded, densely crowded corymbs; phyllaries shiny, 5-6-seriate, 2.5-4 x 0.5-1.8 mm, outer ones ovate, purple tipped or brownish, middle and inner ones white or yellowish, oblanceolate or oblong, obtuse, innermost sometimes apiculate. Bisexual florets (functionally male) 22-28 in predominantly male capitula with 6-10 female, filiform florets; in predominantly female capitula female florets 35-50, filiform and bisexual florets (functionally male) 2-4, tubular. Corolla of female florets yellow, 2.5-3 mm long, of bisexual florets (functionally male) dark brown, c. 2.5-3 mm long with 5 distinct glandular lobes. Cypselas of female florets oblong, 0.5-0.7 mm long, brownish, papillose; bisexual florets oblong, cylindrical, 0.6-0.7 mm long, sterile; pappus setae 2.5-3.5 mm long, bristly.

Fl.Per.: June-October.

Type: Described from Nepal, Buchanan-Hamilton 8 (BM!).

An extremely variable taxon particularly in habit, which varies from stout to slender, leaf bases, apices and indumentum. Plants with weak stem are sometimes treated as A. tenella, but the variation seems to be clinal. Common between 2200-3800 m on open slopes, rocks and screes; Distribution: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Phillipines.