Perennial herb to 50 cm tall, rhizomatous or tufted, silver-hairy. Stems erect, unbranched. Basal leaves linear to narrow-lanceolate, to 15 cm long, to 1 cm wide, margins rolled under, base sheathing. Stem leaves smaller, bract-like. Capitula solitary, to 5 cm across; summer. Ray florets white. Disk florets yellow. Achenes oblong, 7-9 mm long, hairy.

Tasmania

The above description is of C. asteliifolia in the broad sense, which encompasses at least 4 distinct taxa from high-altitude areas of SE Australia. In the narrow sense, C. asteliifolia is endemic to Tasmania. Plants in cultivation are most likely derived from mainland material, and may be any of 3 undescribed taxa currently known informally in the literature as C. 'tomentella', C. 'costiniana' and C. 'pugioniformis' (Given and Gray in Barlow, 1986).

Source: Jeanes, J. (2002). Asteraceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.