Herbs 10-75 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched, flexuous, distinctly winged. Basal leaves usually withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole winged; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, or narrowly ovate-elliptic, (3-)6-20 × (1-)2-4.5 cm, abaxially pale green, gland-dotted, and sparsely pubescent, adaxially green and scabrid, base cuneate and decurrent, margin sinuate-dentate, apex acute. Upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic, gradually smaller upward on stem, base cuneate and decurrent, apex acuminate. Capitula several, in a clustered corymbiform synflorescence at end of branches, shortly pedunculate. Involucre cylindric, ca. 3 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 3 or 4 rows, purplish, apically tomentose, apex acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-ovate; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic to linear. Receptacle with bristles. Corolla purple, 1-1.1 cm, tube 4-6 mm, limb 4-5 mm. Pappus outer bristles scabrid; inner bristles 7-8 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug.
Home