Herbs 0.5-1.5 m tall, perennial. Stem stout, erect, apically branched and glandular hairy. Lower and middle stem leaves with petiole long (lowermost leaves) to sessile with an expanded and clasping base; leaf blade narrowly spatulate, elliptic, or narrowly lanceolate, 14-40(or more) × 4-8 cm, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect (in lowermost leaves); lateral lobes 2-5 pairs but to 8-paired in lowermost leaves, abaxially glabrous, margin coarsely dentate, apex acute; terminal lobe narrowly triangular, narrowly ovate, or irregular rhombic, apex acute to acuminate. Upper stem leaves similar to middle stem leaves but smaller and less divided. Synflorescence racemiform to corymbosely paniculiform, lax, with few capitula. Capitula with ca. 40 florets; peduncle (2-)5-14 cm. Involucre dark purplish green, broadly campanulate, 1.8-2.3 × 1-1.5 cm. Phyllaries with apex acute to obtuse; outer phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, margin white densely fimbriate; inner phyllaries without a fimbriate margin. Florets blue to bluish purple. Achene 6-7 mm; body brown, ellipsoid, compressed, lateral ribs broadened, apex tapering into a barely differentiated thick beak of 1-2 mm. Pappus double, outer hairs 0.1-0.2 mm, bristles ca. 8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 16.
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