Herbs 30-100 cm tall, perennial. Stem erect, simple or branched in apical part. Basal and lower stem leaves withered at anthesis. Middle stem leaves sessile or subsessile; leaf blade narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 5-12 × 0.6-0.7 cm, abaxially white and densely tomentose, adaxially green and slightly scabrid, base cuneate-attenuate, margin entire and revolute, apex long acuminate. Upper stem leaves similar to middle stem leaves, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula numerous, in a corymbose-paniculate synflorescence, shortly pedunculate. Involucre narrowly campanulate, ca. 5 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, dark purple, sparsely pubescent, glabrescent; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 3 × 1-1.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse; middle phyllaries elliptic, ca. 7 × 2 mm, apex obtuse; inner phyllaries narrowly linear-elliptic, 7-8 × ca. 1 mm, apex acute to obtuse. Corolla purple, ca. 9 mm, tube ca. 4 mm, limb ca. 5 mm. Achene brown, ca. 3 mm. Pappus straw-colored; outer bristles ca. 3 mm; inner bristles ca. 9 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.
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