Herbs, perennial, stemless. Rosette leaves petiolate; petiole 2-4 cm; leaf blade elliptic to narrowly obovate, 6-30 × 2-5 cm, bipinnately lobed, abaxially white and densely tomentose, adaxially green and strigose or sparsely arachnoid; primary lobes 5-10 pairs, ovate to elliptic; secondary lobes elliptic, obliquely ovate, or semiorbicular, margin spinulose-dentate. Capitula 5-15, clustered in center of leaf rosette, forming a hemispheric synflorescence. Involucre 1.5-2 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, apically purplish red, apex mucronate; outer phyllaries elliptic, 9-11 × ca. 5 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 12-17 × ca. 5 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 1.8-2 × 0.2-0.3 cm. Corolla purplish red, 1.5-2.2 cm, tube ca. 1.2 cm, lobes 4-5 mm. Style branches ca. 1 mm, ± coherent, apex obtuse. Achene tetragonous, obconic, 4-5 mm, ± wrinkled. Pappus bristles in many rows, blackish to yellowish brown, barbellate, ca. 2 cm. Fl. and fr. Aug.
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