Herbs 30-70 cm tall, perennial, caespitose, forming large clumps. Caudex stout, much branched. Stems many, 4-6 mm in diam., erect, simple. Rosette and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, 10-35 × 0.6-3.2 cm, both surfaces green, abaxially gland-dotted, adaxially sparsely pilose to glabrescent, margin sinuate-dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper leaves sessile, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, 7.5-14 × 1.4-2.8 cm. Uppermost stem leaves sessile, ovate, boat-shaped, 1.7-8 × 0.7-3.2 cm, half-enclosing synflorescence, both surfaces pale greenish yellow ± tinged purple, margin dentate, apex acuminate. Capitula (1 or)2-8, in a corymbiform synflorescence or rarely solitary, pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, 1.5-2.5 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, blackish or purplish brown, villous, glabrescent, apex acute; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate, 7-8 × 2-3.5 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 8-13 × 1.5-2.5 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic to linear, 13-15 × 1-2 mm. Receptacle bristles 3.5-7.5 mm. Corolla purple, 1.1-1.7 cm, tube 5.5-9 mm, limb 5-8 mm, lobes 3.2-4.4 mm. Achene blackish brown, cylindric to obconic, 4-5.7 mm, 5-7-ribbed, apex with a denticulate crown. Pappus rose-purple; outer bristles 1.5-3.5 mm; inner bristles 1.4-1.6 cm. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 32*.
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