Herbs 9-30[-48] cm tall, perennial, monocarpic. Caudex unbranched. Stem solitary, ca. 1 cm in diam., erect, simple. Rosette and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade linear-oblong to narrowly obovate, 5-22 × 0.6-2.8 cm, both surfaces green and sparsely pilose or glabrous, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, gradually smaller upward on stem, both surfaces densely white or pale yellowish lanate, apex acute or acuminate. Capitula numerous, densely clustered on flat stem apex in a synflorescence [4-]7-10 cm in diam., hidden at anthesis in a lanate indumentum, sessile. Involucre cylindric to campanulate, 5-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 3-6 rows, apex acute; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 4 × 3 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, ca. 7.5 × 1.5 mm. Receptacle bristles ca. 2 mm. Corolla bright purple to reddish purple, 7-12.5 mm, tube 2-5.5 mm, limb 5-7 mm, lobes 1.5-2 mm. Achene cylindric, 2-4.5 mm, apically sparsely papillose or glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 4-5 mm; inner bristles 8-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 36.
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