Subshrubs 20-40 cm; rhizome thick. Stems numerous, erect or ascending, many branched in lower part, finely striate, woody at base, bark reddish brown, gray-white tomentulose, ± glabrescent, upper part herbaceous, gray-white villous, ± glabrescent, glandular distally. Leaves crowded, ascending or erect, linear-oblong to linear, (8-)12-15 × 1.5-2 mm, abaxially densely gray-white villous, adaxially gray-green, moderately to sparsely villous, base attenuate, margin revolute, apex acute. Capitula radiate, 8-10 × ca. 10 mm, in loose corymbiform synflorescences or solitary at ends of branches; peduncles rather thick, straight or curved; bracts small, linear. Involucre broadly campanulate, 6-7 × ca. 9 mm; phyllaries 3-or 4-seriate, imbricate, white villous to arachnoid, glandular at least distally, margin broadly scarious, erose, apex acuminate to acute or ± obtuse, usually purplish red, outer short, ovate or lanceolate, inner oblong. Ray florets 7-13, tube ca. 2.9 mm, glabrous, lamina pale purple to pale lilac, 10-12 × 1.2-2.7 mm; disk florets 11-19(-26), yellow turning reddish, ca. 5 mm, tube 1.8-2.5 mm, tube and limb base sparsely hairy, limb narrowly campanulate to funnelform, ca. 2.7 mm. Achenes straw-colored, 3-3.5 mm, white strigose. Pappus white or pale cinnamon. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
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