Herbs 0.6-1.5 m tall, perennial. Stem glabrous. Basal and lower leaves with petiole ca. 15 cm, winged; leaf blade to 30 × 15 cm, undivided and triangular-ovate with a cordate or truncate to cuneate base or pinnatisect with an additional 1 or 2 pairs of small lateral lobes; lateral lobes when present rhombic, triangular-ovate, or lanceolate, recurved, apex acute. Middle stem leaves with a short winged sagittately clasping petiole or sessile; leaf blade elliptic to oblanceolate, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect, glabrous to weakly glandular hairy, base sagittately clasping if sessile, margin ± sinuate and mucronulately dentate; lateral lobes 1-3(-5) pairs, 2-7 × 0.5-2(-4) cm; terminal lobe to 13 × 4 cm, otherwise like lower leaves. Upper stem leaves sessile, smaller, lanceolate, mostly not divided, base sagittately clasping; uppermost leaves linear-lanceolate, base not clasping, margin entire. Synflorescence paniculiform, with many capitula. Capitula with usually 10-15 florets. Involucre 10-13 × 3-4 mm. Outer phyllaries triangular to linear-lanceolate, largest 5-8 × ca. 1 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries ± 8, apex obtuse to acute. Florets pale purple. Achene ca. 4 mm, attenuate into an almost beaked apex. Pappus 6-7 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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