Herbs perennial, roots procumbent or vertical, not taprooted. Stems usually many, erect, 10-60(-100) cm, covered with closely-set thin hairs directed upward and often glandular in upper part, branched. Basal leaves withered by anthesis, lower linear or oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate or subspatulate, 2.5-6(-10) × 0.7-1.5 cm, margin entire or remotely shallowly toothed, upper gradually diminished, both surfaces pubescent, densely minutely glandular, midvein abaxially slightly convex. Capitula radiate, numerous, 2-3.5(-4) cm in diam., solitary and terminal or in corymbose-paniculiform synflorescences. Involucres hemispheric, 0.8-1.8 cm in diam.; phyllaries 2-or 3-seriate, subequal or outer series short, oblong-lanceolate or linear, 4-8 × 0.5-1.8 mm, abaxially or all outer series leaflike, shortly rough pilose, short-stipitate glandular, acuminate, outermost linear and shorter than inner, margin ± broadly scarious. Ray florets ca. 20, bluish purple or lilac, tube 1.5-2.8 mm, hairy, lamina oblong-linear, 10-15 × 1.5-2.5 mm; disk florets yellow, 5-6 mm, tube 1.5-2.2 mm, lobes unequal, 0.6-1 × 1-1.4 mm, hairy. Achenes obovate-oblong, compressed, 2-3 mm, strigose, glandular. Pappus of ray and disk florets identical, sordid white or pale brown, of subequal bristles, 4-6 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
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