Herbs, perennial, ca. 20 cm tall. Rootstock a thick taproot, 10-17 cm × ca. 6 mm, apex many branched. Stems ca. 3 mm thick, upper parts undivided, white hispid at base, otherwise glabrous. Leaves alternate; stipules absent; basal scale-leaves ciliate; petiole absent; leaf blade oblong [or oblong-elliptic or spatulate-obovate], (1.5-)2-3 cm × 3-6(-10) mm, sometimes hairy on margins, base attenuate [or cordate, sometimes amplexicaul], margin finely serrulate (or entire), apex acuminate [or obtuse]; lateral veins inconspicuous. Inflorescence a terminal compound pseudumbel, sometimes with additional cymes from upper axils; primary involucral leaves 3[or (4 or)5], triangular-ovate, ca. 8 × 5 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse, primary rays usually 3[or (4 or)5], ca. 2 cm; cyathophylls 2 or 3, similar to primary involucral leaves, but smaller, ca. 6 × 4 mm. Cyathium sessile; involucre cuplike, ca. 2 × 2[or 3-4] mm, exterior glabrous, interior woolly, lobes triangular-rounded; glands 4, brown, reniform-rounded, entire. Male flowers many, exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary pedicel ca. 2 mm, exserted from cup; ovary sparsely aculeate, glabrous; styles free; style arms 2-lobed. Capsule trigonous-globose [or oblate-globose], ca. 2 × 2.5 mm, obscurely furrowed, sparsely softly spiny, glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, brown, adaxially white striate; caruncle grooved-subulate, yellowish, sessile. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.
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