General:
Annual or biennial herb from a fibrous root; stems simple or branched, thinly woolly hairy, 10-40 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves soon deciduous, lower leaves alternate, entire, spoon-shaped, blunt or rounded, thinly woolly-hairy, 1.5-10 cm long, 0.2-2 cm wide; upper leaves similar, reduced upwards.

Flowers:
Heads disciform in a narrow, dense, spikelike inflorescence; involucres 3-5 mm tall; involucral bracts graduated, the tips abruptly sharp-pointed or long pointed, light brown, often tinged with pink or purple.

Fruits:
Achenes nerveless with nipplelike projections; pappus bristles united at the base, deciduous in a ring.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Gnaphalium purpureum var. purpureum
Gnaphalium purpureum var. ustulatum (Nutt.) B. Boivin
Gnaphalium ustulatum Nutt.