Herbs 30-100 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched, narrowly winged, glabrescent. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole 3-10 cm, winged; leaf blade ovate-elliptic to elliptic, 10-21 × 3-6[-8.5] cm, abaxially glaucous and subglabrous, adaxially green and glabrous, base attenuate, margin dentate to serrate, apex long acuminate. Upper stem leaves narrowly elliptic to linear, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula numerous, in a corymbiform synflorescence, shortly pedunculate. Involucre narrowly campanulate-obconic, 3-6 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 4-6 rows, yellowish green but blackish purple apically and near margin, conspicuously 3-veined, subglabrous, apex obtuse; outer phyllaries ovate, 1.5-2.5 × 1-1.5 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 2-8 × 1.5-1.8 mm; inner phyllaries linear, 8-10 × 1-1.5 mm. Receptacle bristles subulate, 3-4 mm. Corolla purple, 9-10 mm, tube 5-6 mm, limb 4-5 mm, lobes 3-4 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, 3-4(-6) mm. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 1.5-3 mm, scabrid; inner bristles 6-8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 26, 52.
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