Herbs 4-18(-30) cm tall, perennial. Caudex slender, apically densely covered with blackish brown sometimes fibrously lacerate remains of petioles. Stem erect, densely arachnoid, sometimes glabrescent. Rosette leaves petiolate; petiole to 7 cm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, 5-23 × 2.5-4 cm, pinnately parted or pinnately lobed, abaxially grayish white and arachnoid tomentose, adaxially green and glabrous; lateral lobes 3-8 pairs, ovate to triangular, margin entire or dentate, apex acute to obtuse and mucronate; terminal lobe triangular. Stem leaves 1-3, shortly petiolate; leaf blade same in division as basal leaves. Capitulum solitary, terminal on stem. Involucre campanulate, 2-3.5 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, sparsely arachnoid, apex acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly triangular-subulate, 12-14 × ca. 3 mm; middle phyllaries subulate-linear, 15-17 × ca. 3 mm; inner phyllaries linear, ca. 2.2 × 0.2 cm. Corolla purple, ca. 1.8(-2.5) cm, tube ca. 1.4 cm, limb ca. 4 mm. Achene cylindric, ca. 4 mm, smooth, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles ca. 2 mm, scabrid; inner bristles ca. 1.5 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
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