Herbs 30-40 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, apically few branched, with reddish brown hairs. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 2-3 cm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, 12-16 × 1-1.6 cm, both surfaces green, adaxially with reddish brown hairs, base attenuate, margin retrorsely serrate, apex acuminate. Middle and upper stem leaves few, shortly petiolate or sessile, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula 3 or 4, in a lax racemiform or corymbiform synflorescence, long pedunculate. Involucre ovoid to narrowly campanulate, 1.2-1.5 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, straw-colored to brown but purplish apically and near margin, sparsely villous or glabrescent, apex acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-ovate, 8-10 × ca. 3 mm, apically reflexed; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 10-12 × 2-3 mm. Receptacle bristles linear, 2-3 mm. Corolla purplish red, 1.8-1.9 cm, tube 6-7 mm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 3.5-4 mm. Achene cylindric, 2.5-3 mm, glabrous. Pappus brownish; outer bristles scabrid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
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