Herbs 15-35 cm tall, perennial, rosulate. Rhizomes with many slender roots. Stem erect, simple or sparsely branched, glabrous, not or very sparsely leafy. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole 4-11 cm; leaf blade triangular-ovate, 2-4 × 1-3 cm, base cordate or unequally cordate, margin shallowly to coarsely sinuate-dentate, or irregularly coarsely dentate, apex acute to acuminate. Stem leaves similar to basal leaves but with shorter petiole and smaller narrower blade. Synflorescence sparsely branched, with 1-4 capitula. Capitula nodding at anthesis, with usually 15-25 florets. Involucre ca. 1.5 cm. Phyllaries abaxially glabrous; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate to linear-lanceolate, longest 1/2-2/3 as long as inner phyllaries, apex acute; inner phyllaries 10-12, apex subacute. Florets purplish, drying yellowish. Achene brown, ca. 5 mm. Pappus ca. 8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul. 2n = 34*.