Stem erect, 30-120 cm tall, ca. 1.2 cm in diam. at base, proximally glabrous, distally and branches of synflorescence white arachnoid-puberulent and shortly yellow pilose. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole 22-60 cm, stout, white puberulent, palmately veined with 5-7 principal veins, base sheathed; leaf blade abaxially grayish white, adaxially green, reniform, 7-30 × 12-38 cm, abaxially white puberulent, adaxially glabrous, margin regularly dentate, ciliate between teeth, apex rounded. Stem leaves similar but smaller; distal stem leaves sessile, broadly sheathed. Synflorescence corymbose or compound corymbose, spreading; peduncles to 9 cm, white arachnoid-puberulent and shortly yellow pilose; leaflike bracts ovate to linear-lanceolate, margin denticulate; supplementary bracts absent. Capitula numerous. Involucre hemispheric, broader than long, 1.5-2.5 × 1.8-3 cm, outside densely white arachnoid-puberulent; phyllaries 8-14, closely imbricate, oblong, to 1 cm wide; inner phyllaries 2-carinate on convex outside and margin brown membranous. Ray florets yellow; lamina narrowly oblong, to 5 cm × 4-7 mm, apex acute; tube 7-12 mm. Tubular florets numerous, 1-1.8 cm. Achenes brown, cylindric, 7-10 mm, ribbed. Pappus reddish brown, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.
More
Plants often purplish-tinged, glabrous or distally unevenly hairy; rootstocks stout, fibrous-rooted. Leaves: basal blades 20–45 × 20–40 cm, bases deeply cordate. Peduncles 2–9 cm. Involucres 9–12(–20) × 16–28 mm. Phyllaries greenish-tipped. Ray corolla laminae 20–35(–50) mm. Cypselae 8–10 mm; pappi 10–12 mm. 2n = 60.