Herbs, perennial, 15-60 cm tall. Stems erect, upper parts with a few corymbose branches, rarely unbranched, lower and middle parts purple-red, sparsely pubescent, rather densely so in upper part and below synflorescence. Lower and middle stem leaves: petiole 1-4 mm; leaf blade ovate, broadly ovate, broadly triangular, or subrhomboid, 1.4-4 × 1-3.5 cm, 2-pinnatisect, surfaces concolorous, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; primary lateral segments 2 or 3 pairs; ultimate segments triangular or obliquely triangular, apex acute. Upper stem leaves elliptic or broadly linear, gradually smaller, pinnatipartite or entire. Synflorescence a lax flat-topped cyme. Capitula 2-5, 1.5-4.5 cm in diam. Involucres cup-shaped; phyllaries in 4 rows, abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent only in outer ones, scarious margin white or brown, outer ones linear or linear-lanceolate, 3.5-8 mm, middle and inner ones elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 3-7 mm. Ray floret lamina white or purple-red, 1-2 cm, apex entire or minutely emarginate. Achenes ca. 1.8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 54*, 72.