Herbs 35-100 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically few branched, winged, densely leafy. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, 6-15 × 4-9 cm, both surfaces green, abaxially pubescent or glabrous, adaxially scabrid, base ± cordate, margin serrate and ciliate, apex acuminate. Middle and upper stem leaves shortly petiolate or sessile, gradually smaller upward on stem, base decurrent. Uppermost stem leaves narrowly ovate-elliptic to narrowly elliptic. Capitula numerous, in a clustered corymbiform synflorescence. Involucre campanulate, 5-6(-8) mm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows, often dark violet, pubescent; outer phyllaries ovate, apex obtuse to subacute; middle and inner phyllaries oblong to narrowly ovate-elliptic, apex subobtuse to acuminate. Receptacle sparsely bristly. Corolla purplish violet, 1-1.1 cm, tube 5-6 mm, limb 5-6 mm, lobes ca. 3.5 mm. Achene pale brown, cylindric, ca. 3.5 mm. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 3-4 mm, scabrid; inner bristles 8-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 24, 26.
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