Herbs 30-80 cm tall, biennial or perennial. Stem solitary, 5-6 mm in diam., erect, branched, narrowly winged. Basal and lower stem leaves sessile, oblong, 6-20 × 1-6 cm, both surfaces green, scabrous, and gland-dotted, base semiamplexicaul and decurrent, margin entire or sparsely dentate, apex acuminate. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 5-8 × 0.5-1.5 cm, margin entire, apex acuminate. Capitula numerous, in a corymbiform or paniculiform synflorescence, pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, (0.6-)1-2(-3) cm in diam. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-subulate, 8-11 × 1-2 mm, basally arachnoid lanate, apically glabrous, apex needlelike and reflexed; middle and inner phyllaries subulate to linear, 10-14 × 1-2 mm, densely arachnoid lanate and gland-dotted, appendage narrowly triangular to ovate, 0.5-1 mm wide, and membranous. Receptacle bristles filiform, 7-9 mm, hyaline. Corolla purple, 1.6-1.9 cm, gland-dotted, tube 0.9-1.2 cm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 3.5-4.5 mm. Achene blackish brown, cylindric to obconic, 3-3.5 mm. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 1-4 mm; inner bristles 1-1.4 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
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