Plants erect, 1-4(-5) × 0.5-3 dm, villous. Leaves basal; petiole 1-3(-6) cm; blade oblanceolate, 0.5-2(-4) × 0.1-0.4(-1) cm, villous. Inflorescences cymose, dichot-omously branched throughout, white to greenish or reddish; bracts usually 2, similar to proximal leaf blades, typically with whorl of 3-5 ca. midstem, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.5-2(-3) cm × 1-5(-10) mm, awns absent. Involucres congested in small leafy terminal clusters of 2-4 at nodes of dichotomies, greenish, cylindric, slightly ventricose basally, 3-5 mm, with conspicuous, purple, broad, membranous margins typically extending across sinuses, finely corrugated, hispid at least along ridges, otherwise sparsely pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, (0.7-)1-1.5 mm, awns straight, 0.5-1 mm. Flowers exserted; perianth white to rose, cylindric, 3.5-4(-4.5) mm, slightly pubescent abaxially; tepals connate 2/ 3 their length, monomorphic, obovate, 2-lobed or denticulate apically, infrequently inner whorl entire; stamens 9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 3-4 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5-0.6 mm. Achenes light brown, globose-lenticular, 3.5-4 mm. 2n = 40.
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