Herbs, perennial or biennial, 1.5-2.2 m tall. Taproots horizontal, oblique, or vertical. Stems slightly lignified at base, robust, uniformly retrorsely hispidulous or with 2 bilateral lines. Basal leaves wilted at anthesis; cauline leaves petiolate; petiole ca. 1 cm, reduced or absent above; blade oblong, 4-14.5 × 2-9.5 cm, sparsely adpressed hispidulous, margin entire, or lyrate with 1 or 2(or 3) pairs of lateral segments, margin crenate or dentate. Inflorescence corymbiform or paniculiform, 20-25 cm in diam.; lateral branches in 4-6 pairs, densely hirsute; involucral bracts linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, ca. 8.5 cm, entire, or pinnately 3-5-segmented; terminal segment ovate-lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate. Calyx small, 5-dentate. Corolla yellow or pale yellow, rarely white, funnelform; tube 1.2-1.8 mm, 1.4-1.8 mm in diam.; limb 2-4 mm wide; lobes ovate to ovate-oblong, 0.6-1.8 × 1-1.2 mm. Stamens 1-4, often one longer and exserted; filaments 1.5-3.3 mm; anthers oblong or ellipsoid, 0.5-0.8 mm. Ovary obovoid, 0.8-1.8 mm; style 1.7-2.8 mm; stigma capitate or peltate. Achenes ovoid-globose; sterile ovary locules thickened, obovoid-oblong, glabrous or sparsely hispidulous; fertile locule compressed ellipsoid, margin hispidulous; bracteoles broadly ovate to suborbicular, 5-7 × 5-8 mm, 2(or 3)-veined, apex usually shallowly 3-lobed. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 88 (under P. formosana).
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