Herbs 20-50 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, branched in apical half, glabrous. Basal leaves few, pinnatifid with lateral lobes broadly lanceolate to broadly triangular. Stem leaves 3-6, sessile, narrowly lanceolate to linear, undivided. Synflorescence glandular hairy. Involucre narrowly cylindric, 8-9 mm. Phyllaries almost glabrous, margin shortly ciliate; outer phyllaries with longest 3-4 mm. Florets mauve. Achene fusiform, not seen when mature. Pappus single, caducous. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.