Herbs 7-9[-15] cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, ca. 5 mm in diam., erect, simple, hidden by reflexed leaves. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade spatulate, obovate, or elliptic, 8-15 × 7-8 mm, both surfaces yellowish green and densely white and yellowish lanate, base attenuate, margin pinnately lobed, apex obtuse; lobes 2 or 3 pairs, linear, 1-4 × ca. 1 mm. Uppermost stem leaves sessile, linear, 15-20 × 1-3 mm, margin sparsely dentate or entire. Capitula numerous, in a hemispheric synflorescence 3-5 cm in diam., sessile. Involucre cylindric, 5-6 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 3 or 4 rows, hyaline, apically purplish red, glabrous but apically ciliate, apex acute; outer phyllaries narrowly spatulate-linear, 10-11 × ca. 3 mm; middle and inner phyllaries linear, 13-14 × 1-2 mm. Receptacle bristles 1.5-2.5 mm. Corolla dark purple, densely papillose, 1.1-1.3 cm, tube 6-7 mm, limb 5-6 mm, lobes 1.5-2 mm. Achene brown, narrowly fusiform, 7-8 mm, densely papillose on apical rim. Pappus light brown; outer bristles 5-8 mm; inner bristles 1.2-1.3 cm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.
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