Herbs 0.5-1.5[-2.5] m tall, biennial. Stem solitary, 7-10 mm in diam., erect, simple. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade elliptic to obovate in outline, 8-30[-40] × 5-10[-15] cm, bipinnately lobed to bipinnately divided, abaxially grayish green and densely tomentose, adaxially green, scabrous, and with brown articulate hairs; primary lobes 5-10 pairs; secondary lobes 1-4 pairs, ovate-elliptic to obliquely triangular, apex mucronate. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, gradually smaller upward on stem, pinnately lobed to pinnately divided, base auriculate and semiamplexicaul, apex acute. Capitula numerous in a racemiform or paniculiform synflorescence, subsessile to pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, 1.5-2(-2.5) cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows, apex acute; outer phyllaries grayish green, oblong-linear, 9-15 × 1-5 mm, herbaceous, arachnoid lanate, margin crenulate; middle phyllaries narrowly triangular-ovate, 8-10[-15] × 1-1.5 mm; inner phyllaries linear, 8-10[-20] × 1-1.5 mm. Corolla purple, 1.3-1.5 cm, tube 6-7 mm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 2-2.5 mm. Achene blackish brown, cylindric, 2-4 mm, apically muricate, apex with a crenulate crown. Pappus bristles dirty white, 1.1-1.2 cm. Fl. and fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 34.
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A herb. It completes its life cycle over 2 years. It grows 0.5-1.5 m tall. It has single stems. Lower leaves have stalks and higher leaves do not. Leaves are twice divided or lobed. The leaves are 8-30 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. They are grey-green underneath. There are several flowers in a group. They are purple.
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