Plants erect, 0.5-2.5(-3) × 0.5-3 dm, hirsute. Leaves basal; petiole 0.1-0.5 cm; blade narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 0.5-2 × 0.8-2(-2.2) cm, hirsute. Inflorescences cymose, dichot-omously branched throughout, white to greenish or reddish; bracts usually 2, similar to leaves at proximal nodes only reduced, typically with whorl of 3-5 ca. midstem, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.5-2(-3) cm × 10-30(-40) mm, awns absent. Involucres congested in small bracteated terminal clusters of 2-4 at node of dichotomies, tannish, cylindric, slightly ventricose basally, 3-4 mm, with conspicuous, white, broad, membranous margins typically extending up tooth to awn, finely corrugated, hispid at least along ridges, otherwise sparsely pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, 1-1.5 mm, awns straight, 0.5-1 mm. Flowers exserted; perianth cream to creamy white or rose, cylindric, 4-4.5(-5) mm, slightly pubescent abaxially; tepals connate 2/ 3 their length, monomorphic, obovate, obcordate to 2-lobed apically, sometimes slightly irregular but not distinctly erose; stamens 9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 4-5 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5-0.6 mm. Achenes light brown, globose-lenticular, 3.5-4.5 mm. 2n = 38, 40, 44.
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