Herbs 40-150 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched, subglabrous. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole 8-20 cm; leaf blade cordate, 8-20 × 7-18 cm, both surfaces green, abaxially glabrous or sparsely strigose on veins, adaxially scabrid and sparsely strigose, base deeply cordate, margin coarsely dentate, apex acuminate. Uppermost stem leaves shortly petiolate or sessile; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, or narrowly ovate-elliptic, base rounded to broadly truncate. Capitula usually numerous, in a lax corymbiform synflorescence but rarely solitary, long pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, (0.8-)1.5-2 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4-6 rows, straw-colored, leathery, conspicuously veined, glabrous or white to brown arachnoid tomentose at margin, apical part green, herbaceous, and reflexed to erect, apex acuminate; outer phyllaries ovate, 2-4(-7) × 2-3 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 4-15 × 3-5 mm; inner phyllaries linear, 13-16 × 1.5-2 mm. Receptacle bristles 6-9 mm. Corolla pink to dark purple, (1.2-)1.5-1.7 cm, tube 6-8 mm, limb 8-9 mm, lobes 3-4 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, 5-7 mm, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 2-6 mm, scabrid; inner bristles 1.1-1.5 cm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
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