Herbs 30-80 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, ca. 3 mm in diam., simple or apically branched. Basal and lower stem leaves withered at anthesis. Middle stem leaves shortly petiolate; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, 4-7 × 1-2 cm, pinnately lobed, abaxially white and densely tomentose, adaxially green, scabrous, and sparsely hispid; lateral segments 2 or 3 pairs, oblong to narrowly triangular-ovate, margin entire or with a pair of lobes, apex acute to obtuse; terminal segment caudate. Upper stem leaves sessile or subsessile, similar to middle stem leaves, gradually smaller upward on stem; lateral lobes 1 or 2 pairs. Capitula 3-15, in a corymbiform synflorescence, pedunculate. Involucre narrowly obconic, 6-8 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, apically sparsely pubescent to villous; outer phyllaries ovate, 2-3 × 1-1.5 mm, apex acute; middle phyllaries narrowly elliptic, 3-7 × 1-1.5 mm, apex obtuse; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic-linear, 7-10 × 1-1.5 mm, apex obtuse. Corolla purple, 7-8 mm, tube 4-5 mm, limb 2.5-3 mm, lobes 1.5-2 mm. Achene blackish brown, 2.5-3 mm. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles ca. 2 mm; inner bristles ca. 1 cm. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Nov.
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