Herbs 0.9-1.2 m tall, perennial. Stem solitary, ca. 5 mm in diam., erect, branched from middle. Middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 2.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic to ovate, 7.5-15(-20) × 5-6 cm, abaxially grayish green to grayish white and densely tomentose, adaxially green and sparsely strigose but glabrescent, base cuneate-attenuate, margin denticulate, shallowly crenate, or entire, apex acuminate. Upper leaves similar, gradually smaller upward on stem, narrowly elliptic, 8-15 × 1.5-3 cm. Uppermost stem leaves narrowly elliptic to linear. Capitula numerous, in a corymbiform-paniculiform synflorescence, sessile or shortly pedunculate. Involucre narrowly cylindric, 3-5 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, yellowish green, sparsely arachnoid or glabrescent; outer phyllaries oblong, 1.5-2 × 0.5-0.8 mm, apex acute and mucronate; middle phyllaries ovate to narrowly elliptic, 2-7 × 0.8-1.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse and without a mucro; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic to linear, 7-9 × 0.5-1 mm, apically bearded, apex obtuse. Receptacle bristles 4-5 mm. Corolla purple, 0.9-1.1 cm, tube 4-5 mm, limb 5-6 mm, lobes 3.5-4 mm. Achene (immature) ca. 2 mm, glabrous. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 3-4 mm; inner bristles 8-9 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug.
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