Herbs, perennial, 30-70 cm tall, gray tomentose, later sparsely tomentose. Lowermost leaves: petiole 5-15(-20) mm; leaf blade oblong or ovate-elliptic, 2.5-5.5 × 2-3.5 cm, sparsely pubescent adaxially, densely yellowish tomentose and veins pubescent abaxially, 1-or 2-pinnatisect; segments 4 or 5 pairs, distal and upper lobes longer than basal lobes, upper lobes elliptic or oblong, 10-20 × 5-10 mm, lobulate or serrate; lobules 1 or 2 pairs, 3-5 × 1-3 mm. Middle stem leaves ± sessile; leaf blade oblong or obovate-oblong, 3-5.5 × 2-3 cm, pinnatipartite or-subsect; segments 4 or 5 pairs, elliptic or oblong, 5-15(-20) × 3-8 mm; rachis narrowly winged. Uppermost leaves and leaflike bracts 3-7-lobed; lobes lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Capitula in narrow panicles, broadly ovoid or oblong, 3.5-4 mm in diam., sessile. Phyllaries gray or yellowish arachnoid tomentose. Marginal female florets 5-9. Disk florets 8-15, bisexual. Achene oblong or ovoid-oblong. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
Slopes, roadsides, grasslands; at elevations from 2,300-3,200 metres.