Herbs, 1-2.7 m tall. Stem solitary, erect, branched apically, glabrous, leafy. Middle stem leaves glabrous; petiole 5-20 cm, unwinged; leaf blade ovate, 16-22 × 12-15 cm, lyrately pinnatisect, margin mucronulately dentate; lateral lobes 1-3 pairs, narrowly elliptic, 6-10 × 2-5 cm, apex obtuse; terminal lobe rhombic to elliptic, 10-13 × 4-10 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate. Upper stem leaves with shorter petiole to sessile, usually smaller and less divided to undivided, otherwise similar to middle stem leaves. Synflorescence paniculiform, with numerous capitula. Capitula with 4 or 5 florets. Involucre ca. 10 × 2.5-3 mm at anthesis, to 1.2 cm in fruit. Phyllaries purplish red, abaxially glabrous, apex obtuse; outer phyllaries linear-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, largest 4-6 × ca. 1 mm; inner phyllaries 5. Florets purple. Achene ca. 5 mm, basally more attenuate than apically. Pappus 7-8 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep-Oct.
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