Herbs perennial, 50-200 cm tall. Rhizomes short, with numerous fibrous roots. Stems erect, purplish red, usually simple or corymbose synflorescence branched in upper part, white crisped-puberulent, more dense on synflorescence branches, glabrescent or sparsely hairy in lower part. Leaves opposite; petiole 0.5-2 cm, rather thick; median stem leaves elliptic, narrowly elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or lanceolate, 6-20 × 2-6.5 cm, pinnately veined, lateral veins 7-paired, abaxially prominent, base broadly or narrowly cuneate, margin sometimes 3-partite, apex acuminate; basal stem leaves withered by anthesis; upper leaves smaller, homomorphic with median leaves; both surfaces scabrid, crisped-villous or puberulent and yellow glandular, more densely hairy abaxially on veins and on petiole; margin coarsely or doubly serrate. Capitula apically densely corymbose, synflorescence usually 3-6 cm in diam., rarely forming a large compound corymbose synflorescence to 20 cm in diam. Involucre campanulate, 5-6 mm, 5-flowered; phyllaries imbricate, 3-seriate; outer phyllaries very short, lanceolate, 1-2 mm, median and inner phyllaries gradually longer, lanceolate, narrowly elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 5-6 mm, green or purple-tinged, apex obtuse or rounded. Florets white, red-purple, or pink; corolla ca. 5 mm, with dense yellow glands. Achenes black-brown, elliptic, ca. 3.5 mm, 5-angled, with many yellow glands, glabrous. Pappus white, ca. 5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Nov.
Grasslands on slopes, lax forests, thickets, wet places, riverbanks; at elevations from 100-3,000 metres. Moist grassland along river banks.
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