Herbs 5-20(-40) cm tall, annual. Taproot slender. Stem erect, branched from base or basally, white pubescent and sometimes also with subulate stiff bristles. Basal leaves oblanceolate, narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, or elliptic, 2-15 × 0.5-3 cm, lyrately pinnatifid to pinnatisect, base attenuate, margin ± dentate; lateral lobes 2-5-paired, lowermost ones small and toothlike, upper ones large and triangular to elliptic; terminal lobe triangular to elliptic, apex obtuse, acute, or rounded. Stem leaves few, similar to basal leaves or narrowly elliptic and divided or not. Capitula usually a few densely aggregated at nodes of branches, with 6-10 florets. Involucre stoutly cylindric and 4-5 × 3-4 mm at anthesis, 6-9 mm in fruit. Outer phyllaries few, inconspicuous; inner phyllaries linear-lanceolate, abaxially with rigid subulate bristles or rarely glabrous, hardened, carinate and incurved in fruit, partly enclosing outer achenes. Achene columnar, curved, with appressed hairs; outer achenes 4-5 mm, apically attenuate; inner achenes 7-10 mm, strongly exceeding involucre, apically attenuate into a long slender beak. Pappus of white, smooth to scabrid bristles of 0.2-1.5 mm, shorter in outer achenes, longer in inner achenes. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jun.
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