Herbs 8-30 cm tall, perennial, stemless or shortly stemmed. Rosette leaves petiolate; petiole 1-11 cm; leaf blade obovate, elliptic, broadly ovate-elliptic, or suborbicular, 5-20 × 3-17 cm, pinnately divided, pinnately lobed, or sometimes undivided, both surfaces green to yellowish green and sparsely to densely strigose, base cordate, cuneate, or truncate; lobes 3-7 pairs, ovate, falcate, or obliquely triangular, margin apiculate or spinulose dentate. Capitulum solitary, in center of leaf rosette or terminal on stem and subtended by uppermost leaves. Involucre broadly campanulate, 4-6 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows, rigid; outer and middle phyllaries ovate to elliptic, 1.2-2.6 × 0.8-1.7 cm, apex rounded to obtuse; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate, elliptic, or broadly linear, 2.5-4 × 0.3-0.6 cm, apex acuminate. Corolla purplish red to bluish purple, 2.8-3.2 cm, tube 2-2.7 cm. Achene pale brown, trigonous, 7-8 mm, wrinkled. Pappus bristles in many rows, yellowish brown, scabrid to barbellate, 2-2.6 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Oct.
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