Plants 5–60 cm; branched caudices; herbage subglabrous to loosely tomentose when young, ± glabrescent, at least proximally. Stems usually simple. Leaves basal and cauline ± smaller distally, tapered to winged petioles to 7 cm, blades elliptic or lanceolate to ovate, 5–15 cm, bases obtuse to acute, margins subentire to sinuate, dentate or denticulate, apices acute to acuminate; distal cauline sessile, ± decurrent. Heads 3–20+ in corymbiform to subcapitate arrays; (peduncles 0–5 cm. . Involucres 10–15 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series subequal or weakly imbricate, linear to lanceolate, abaxial faces dark green, often tinged dark purplish, loosely villous or ± tomentose. Receptacles naked. Florets 15–20; corollas purple, 8–11 mm, tubes 4–6 mm, throats 1.5–2 mm, lobes 3–3.5 mm; anthers dark purple. Cypselae stramineous, 6–7 mm; pappi of white to brownish, outer bristles 1–3 mm, inner 9–10 mm. 2n = 26 (as S. densa).
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