Herbs, perennial. Root slender. Stem solitary, 20-120 cm, erect, branched apically, strongly glandular hairy to glandular hispid. Basal and lower stem leaves ovate, elliptic-ovate, or oblanceolate, 3-6[-11] × 1-2.5[-4] cm, glandular hairy, base attenuate and auriculately clasping, margin sinuate-dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves smaller, oblanceolate to lanceolate, apex acuminate, otherwise similar to lower leaves. Leaves in synflorescence usually purplish red when dry, lanceolate, base ± semiamplexicaul, margin entire, apex acuminate. Synflorescence racemiform or sparsely paniculiform, leafy, with several to 20 capitula. Capitula nodding at anthesis, with usually 20-30 florets; peduncle with lanceolate bracts to 1.5 cm. Involucre campanulate, 1.2-1.4 cm at anthesis, to 1.9 × 1 cm in fruit. Phyllaries purplish red when dry, abaxially glabrous, apex obtuse to acute; outer phyllaries lanceolate, not much shorter than inner phyllaries. Florets pale blue to mauve. Achene 5-9 mm; body grayish brown, fusiform, compressed, lateral ribs weakly broadened, apex attenuate into a slender beak 1/3-1/2 as long as achene body. Pappus indistinctly double, 7-8 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep. 2n = 16.
Home