Herbs 20-100 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically branched. Basal, lower, and middle stem leaves petiolate; petiole 5-14 cm; leaf blade narrowly ovate-elliptic, 7-21 × 3-12 cm, pinnately lobed to pinnatisect, both surfaces green, abaxially sparsely strigose on veins and usually gland-dotted, adaxially scabrid and densely strigose; lateral lobes 8-17 pairs, oblong to linear-elliptic, margin entire or with 1 or 2 teeth, apex acute; terminal lobe narrowly triangular. Upper stem leaves shortly petiolate, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula several, in a corymbiform synflorescence, shortly pedunculate. Involucre narrowly campanulate, 5-8(-10) mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5-7 rows, arachnoid lanate, apex acute to obtuse; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-triangular, 4-5 × 1-2 mm, usually reflexed, margin with 2 or 3 dark purple subulate teeth; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 5-7 × 1.5-2 mm, margin entire or with 1 or 2 teeth; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic-linear, 7-11 × 1.5-2 mm, margin entire. Receptacle bristles 6-7 mm. Corolla purple, 1-1.3 cm, tube 5-7 mm, limb 5-6 mm, lobes 4-5 mm. Achene purplish brown with dark spots, cylindric, 3-5 mm, glabrous. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 1.5-3 mm; inner bristles (6-)8-9 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 26.
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