Plant subshrubby, 7-22 cm tall; rootstock a deep woody taproot to ca. 1 cm thick; stems becoming very many with age, erect or ascending, basally medifixed appressed pubescent, upper parts glabrescent; branches ascending, short, narrow. Basal and lower stem leaves usually withered by anthesis; pseudostipules absent; petiole 1-2.5 cm; leaf blade ± oblong to oblanceolate in outline, 1-2.5 × 0.6-1.5 cm, 1(-2)-pinnatisect, abaxially adpressed pubescent, adaxially glabrous or glabrescent; segments 3-5-paired, asymmetrically 3(-5)-lobed; ultimate lobules oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, sometimes falcate, 4-7(-10) × 0.9-1.5 mm, apex acute to slightly cuspidate. Middle and upper stem leaves similar but smaller and often pseudostipulate, these with 2 or 3 pairs of lobes. Synflorescence an erect or ascending narrowly cylindric panicle; branches erect, closely appressed to main axis, short, to 3.5 cm, lower bracts sessile, pinnatisect to subpalmatisect, uppermost bracts linear. Capitula separated, mostly erect; peduncle 1-6 mm, sparsely pubescent, usually bracteolate. Involucre ovoid to ovoid-campanulate, 2.5-4 × 1.5-2.5 mm; phyllaries ca. 3-seriate, glabrous, inner zone sometimes tinged purplish, scarious margin broad, hyaline; outer phyllaries broadly ovate, short, with slightly thickened midrib, apex rounded to subacute; inner phyllaries oblong-ovoid, apex acute, sometimes slightly recurved. Marginal florets 5-8; style long exserted. Disk florets 5-12; corolla ca. 2 mm, glabrous; ovary vestigial. Achenes dark brown, cylindric-ellipsoid, obscurely pale ribbed.
Home