Herbs, 80-90 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, apically few branched, erect, ca. 5 mm in diam. Basal and lower stem leaves often withered at anthesis, petiolate; petiole to 3 cm; leaf blade 2.5-7 × 3-4 cm, abaxially grayish green, tomentose, adaxially green, pubescent, base truncate, margin sparsely dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, 4-10 × 0.5-3.5 cm, base auriculate, amplexicaul, apex acute to acuminate. Capitula 2-4, very long pedunculate, nodding, in racemiform synflorescence. Involucre broadly hemispheric, 2-3 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 7-9 rows, straw-colored, blackish brown at margin, arachnoid, narrowly ovate-subulate to subulate-filiform, 1-1.5 mm wide, apex long acuminate and reflexed. Corolla bluish purple, 1-1.3 cm, tube 6-7 mm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 2-3 mm. Achene black, ca. 4 mm, 4-angled, transversely rugose, apex with a denticulate crown. Pappus pale brown, outer bristles ?short, inner bristles to 1.2 cm. Fl. Aug.
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