Herbs ca. 45 cm tall, perennial. Stem densely glandular hairy. Basal and lower stem leaves unknown. Middle stem leaves with petiole 1-1.5 cm, unwinged; leaf blade obovate to narrowly oblanceolate, 20-22 × 4-13 cm, pinnatisect to subpinnatisect, glabrous, margin sinuate to sublobate and mucronulately dentate; lateral lobes 4-7 pairs, opposite or alternate, sometimes petiolulate, ± narrowly elliptic, longest pair each 2.5-8 × 1-2.5 cm, decreasing in size toward base and if more than 4 pairs also toward leaf apex, lowermost pair smallest; terminal lobe elliptic to narrowly elliptic, apex acute to acuminate. Synflorescence paniculiform, with numerous capitula. Capitula with ca. 5 florets. Involucre 9-10 × 2-3 mm. Outer phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, largest ca. 3 × 1 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries 5, linear-lanceolate, equal in length, apex obtuse. Florets purple. Achene 4-5 mm. Pappus ca. 7 mm. Fl. May.