Herbs or subshrubs, 25-40 cm, perennial. Roots fibrously branched. Caudex much branched, with many flowering shoots. Stems erect or ascending, simple or apically branched, distinctly woody at base. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade oblong to narrowly ovate-oblong, 5-10 × 1-2.5 cm, leathery, abaxially green or grayish, pubescent to almost glabrous, and gland-dotted, adaxially green, margin entire or crenate, apex acute to acuminate. Upper stem leaves gradually smaller upward on stem, narrowly ovate-elliptic, margin almost entire. Capitula [3-]7-10, in a ± condensed corymbiform synflorescence. Involucre narrowly campanulate, 7-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, green, apically purple, arachnoid or almost glabrous, gland-dotted, apex acuminate with a straight, not recurved cusp; outer phyllaries ovate, 2-3 × 1.5-2 mm; middle phyllaries 3-8 × 1-2 mm; inner phyllaries 8-10 × 1-1.5 mm. Receptacle bristles subulate, to 8 mm. Corolla purplish red, 1.2-1.6 cm, gland-dotted, tube 7-9 mm, limb 5-7 mm, lobes 2.5-3 mm. Achene cylindric, to 5 mm, with a short crown. Pappus white; outer bristles 1-5 mm; inner bristles 1-1.2 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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