Herbs 10-20 cm tall, perennial. Rhizome apically covered with brown residue of petioles. Stem solitary, erect, simple, apically white arachnoid, glabrescent. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 2-4.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic to obovate, 2.5-6.5 × 1-3 cm, papery, both surfaces green and glabrous, base cuneate, margin with large triangular teeth or rarely pinnately lobed, apex acute; lateral lobes 3 or 4 pairs, broadly triangular. Middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole 1-2.5 cm; leaf blade obovate-elliptic to linear, base cuneate, margin sinuate or entire. Upper stem leaves linear, small, margin entire. Capitulum solitary, terminal on stem. Involucre broadly campanulate to campanulate, 1-2 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows, glabrous or sparsely arachnoid lanate, apex acute to obtuse; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 3 × 2 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly elliptic, ca. 7 × 3 mm; inner phyllaries linear, ca. 11 × 2 mm. Corolla purple, ca. 1.1 cm, tube ca. 5 mm, limb ca. 6 mm. Achene pale brown, cylindric, ca. 3 mm, glabrous, apex with denticulate crown. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles ca. 2 mm; inner bristles ca. 1 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.
Home