Herbs to 1.1 m tall, perennial. Stem solitary, stout, erect, much branched, winged, densely leafy, with articulate hairs. Basal and lower stem leaves withered at anthesis. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, 3-9 × 1-2 cm, abaxially grayish green and densely tomentose, adaxially green and scabrid, base attenuate and decurrent, margin crenate, apex acute. Capitula numerous, in a clustered corymbiform synflorescence at end of branches, shortly pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, 8-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, arachnoid; outer phyllaries ovate, 3-4 × ca. 2 mm, apex acuminate; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 5-8 × 1-2 mm; inner phyllaries linear, ca. 10 × 1 mm, apex obtuse. Receptacle bristles subulate, 4-6 mm. Corolla bluish purple, tube ca. 4 mm. Pappus brown; outer bristles 2-4 mm, scabrid; inner bristles ca. 8 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep-Oct.
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