Herbs 10-40 cm tall, perennial, rarely almost stemless. Caudex fusiform, densely covered with many fibrous remains of leaves. Stem solitary, erect, simple. Leaves sessile, narrowly linear, (3-)15-25(-45) × 0.1-0.2(-0.5) cm, longer than stem, rigid, abaxially grayish white and sparsely pubescent, adaxially green and glabrous, margin revolute and entire, apex acute. Capitulum solitary, terminal on stem. Involucre turbinate-campanulate, 2-2.5(-3.5) cm in diam. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, apically purple, sericeous, margin entire or denticulate, apex long acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-ovate, 13-20 × 3-5 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 2-2.5 × 0.2-0.4 cm; inner phyllaries linear, 2.5-3.2 × 0.1-0.2 cm. Corolla purple, 1.8-2.5(-3) cm, gland-dotted, tube 0.6-2 cm, limb 0.9-1.2 cm, lobes 6-7 mm. Achene 4-5 mm, apex with a short crown. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 1-5 mm; inner bristles 1.9-2.2 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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