Herbs (25-)50-100 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched, subglabrous. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole 4-14 cm, sparsely strigose; leaf blade triangular-hastate to rarely ovate or oblong, 6.5-16 × 2-5(-8) cm, thin, papery, both surfaces green, abaxially glabrous, adaxially subglabrous to sparsely strigose, base cordate, cuneate, or rarely truncate, margin sinuate-dentate, apex acute to acuminate. Lower and middle stem leaves ovate to narrowly ovate, smaller. Upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic, oblong, or linear, margin entire. Capitula numerous, in a paniculiform synflorescence, long pedunculate. Involucre narrowly campanulate, 5-8(-12) mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5-7 rows, straw-colored, apically flushed purple, ± arachnoid, glabrescent, apex obtuse; outer phyllaries broadly ovate, 2-2.5 × 1-1.5 mm; middle phyllaries ovate to narrowly ovate, 3-10 × 1-1.5 mm; inner phyllaries linear, 13-14 × 0.8-1.1 mm. Receptacle bristles to 7 mm. Corolla purple, 1-1.3 cm, tube 5-6 mm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 3-4 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, 3-5 mm, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 2-4 mm; inner bristles 0.9-1.2 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 26.
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