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Leaves ascending or ± appressed to the stem, sessile membranous mostly pinnatipartite with a linear rhachis, up to c. 30 cm. long, elliptic in outline, remotely denticulate on the margins, glabrous or the midrib setose beneath; terminal lobe up to c. 12 x 0.7 cm., linear-lanceolate; lateral lobes in c. 5 pairs, remote, up to c. 8 x 0.6 cm., linear-lanceolate; basal leaves sometimes smaller and undivided, linear-lanceolate, remotely dentate, their lower portions often persisting as chartaceous scales, dark-brown lanate in the axils.
Phyllaries imbricate increasing uniformly in length towards the inside, the outermost broadly ovate and rounded-obtuse, the innermost narrowly lanceolate and attenuate, ciliolate above otherwise glabrous, guttulate on exposed areas, usually glaucous, purple-tinged above and on the margins.
Achenes reddish-brown, c. 12 x 2.5 mm. including the 4–5 mm. long beak, narrowly flattened-ellipsoid, broadly-ribbed on the margins with 1–2 smaller ribs between, hispidulous; pappus several-seriate, of fine white, barbellate setae, c. 11 mm. long.
Stems solitary, sometimes several, branching above, ± crowded leafy below, green occasionally purple-tinged, ± glaucous, glabrous or sometimes sparsely setulose.
Capitula stalked; involucres 15–23 x 6–8 mm. at time of flowering, increasing to c. 30 x 10 mm. in fruiting capitula, conical-cylindric becoming campanulate.
Corollas yellowish-green, 14–23 mm. long, overtopping the involucres; tube narrowly cylindric, pilose at the throat outside, ligule c. 11 x 1.5 mm., lorate.
An erect ± robust perennial herb to 1 m. tall, exceptionally to c. 2 m. tall; rootstock semi-woody, narrowly turbinate.
Synflorescences terminal, laxly paniculate or corymbiform; branches up to c. 50 cm. long, divaricate, glabrous.
Florets c. 20 per capitulum.
