Herbs 50-100 cm tall, perennial. Stems solitary or few, erect, branched above middle; stem and branches sparsely floccose or arachnoid pubescent. Leaves scabrid, sparsely arachnoid. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole brown, fibrous, 5-8 cm; leaf blade oblanceolate to elliptic in outline, 15-20 × ca. 8 cm, pinnatisect; lateral segments 8-11 pairs, narrowly elliptic, broadly linear, narrowly oblanceolate, or spatulate, margin entire; terminal segment usually larger than lateral segments, margin entire or sometimes toothed. Stem leaves similar to basal leaves, decreasing in size upward; lower stem leaves shortly petiolate. Capitula few to many, corymbose or corymbose-paniculate at end of stem and branches. Involucre ovoid to campanulate, 1.2-2 cm in diam. Phyllaries imbricate, in 6 or 7 rows, appendaged; outer and middle phyllaries broadly to narrowly ovate, 4-13 × 3-5 mm, abaxially arachnoid, somewhat glabrescent; appendage of outer and middle phyllaries brown to blackish brown, small, fimbriate, narrowly decurrent on margin of phyllary, apex acute; inner phyllaries broadly linear, ca. 15 × 3 mm; appendage of inner phyllaries brown, scarious, fimbriate. Sterile florets as long as or slightly longer than bisexual ones. Corolla purple. Achene pale brown, ellipsoid, 4-7 mm, sparsely pubescent, with a subentire rim at apex. Outer pappus elements in several rows, bristlelike, to 6 mm, scabrid to serrulate; inner pappus elements scalelike, ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 20.
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