Herbs 25-85 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched, apically flexuous, wingless, subglabrous. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves sessile, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 8-23 × 2.5-6 cm, abaxially sparsely arachnoid or glabrous and sometimes gland-dotted, adaxially green and sparsely strigose or glabrous, base auriculate and amplexicaul, margin denticulate to coarsely serrate, apex acute to acuminate. Upper stem leaves narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula numerous, in a clustered corymbiform synflorescence at end of stem and branches, pedunculate. Involucre narrowly campanulate, 6-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, brownish, apically and near margin purple, glabrous or sparsely arachnoid; outer phyllaries ovate, 3-4 × 2-2.5 mm, apex usually obtuse; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 5-11 × 1.5-3 mm, apex obtuse to acute; inner phyllaries linear, 11-13 × 1-1.5 mm, apex subacute. Corolla dark purple, 1-1.2 cm, tube 5-6 mm, limb 5-7 mm, lobes 3-3.5 mm. Achene cylindric, 3-4.5 mm, ribbed, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 1.5-3 mm, scabrid; inner bristles 8-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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