Herbs, perennial, 12-40 cm tall. Rootstock a horizontal rhizome, 7-10 cm × to 7 mm thick, branched at apex, often with remains of old stems. Stems 3-5 mm thick, upper parts undivided, glabrous, sterile shoots present. Leaves alternate, few (5-11); stipules absent; basal scale-leaves few, reddish; petiole absent; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to oblong, 1-2.5(-4.5) × 0.3-0.6(-1.8) cm, glabrous, base rounded or attenuate, margin entire [or finely serrate], apex obtuse; lateral veins inconspicuous; leaves on sterile shoots 3-3.5 × 0.7-0.9 cm. Inflorescence a terminal pseudumbel, rarely with lateral pseudumbels; primary involucral leaves 4-6, similar or identical to normal leaves, primary rays 4-6, 1-2(-3.5) cm; cyathophylls [2 or]3, ovate-rounded, ca. 5 × 4-5 mm, base subtruncate, apex obtuse. Cy athium sessile; involucre cuplike, 2-2.5 × 4-5 mm, lobes orbicular, dentate, glabrous; glands 4, pale yellow-brown, transversely elliptic, entire. Male flowers many, exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary exserted from cup, densely tuberculate; styles free, persistent; style arms almost unlobed. Capsule trigonous-globose, 3-4 × 4-5 mm, with dense, short, scalelike tubercles. Seeds ovoid-globose, 2-2.5 × ca. 1.5 mm, yellow-brown (immature), smooth; caruncle present, peltate, sessile. Fl. and fr. Jun-Jul.
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