Herbs 25-90 cm tall, perennial. Stem erect, apically branched, winged, glabrous. Lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 4 cm, winged with 1 or 2 pairs of teeth; leaf blade narrowly ovate, elliptic, or ovate, 8-18 × 4-8 cm, lyrately pinnate, abaxially sparsely strigose on veins or glabrous, adaxially green and glabrous, base cuneate-attenuate into winged petiole, margin toothed, apex acute to obtuse. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly elliptic, gradually smaller upward on stem, base decurrent on stem, margin dentate. Capitula numerous, in a corymbiform or paniculiform synflorescence, pedunculate. Involucre ovoid to campanulate, 6-12(-15) mm in diam., apically usually constricted. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, margin sparsely arachnoid; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 4 × 2 mm, apex acute to obtuse; middle phyllaries elliptic, ca. 7 × 3 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic, ca. 9 × 2 mm, apex obtuse. Corolla dark bluish purple, 1-1.3 cm, tube ca. 7 mm, limb ca. 6 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, ca. 2.5 mm, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles ca. 2 mm, scabrid; inner bristles ca. 1 cm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
Home