Herbs 3-25(-35) cm tall, perennial, stemless or cauliferous. Stem solitary, erect, simple, densely villous. Rosette leaves sessile or shortly petiolate; petiole winged if present; leaf blade elliptic to narrowly obovate-elliptic, 3-10 × 1-3.5 cm, both surfaces green and subglabrous, base attenuate, margin entire or inconspicuously denticulate, apex obtuse to subacute. Stem leaves sessile, narrowly elliptic to linear, smaller. Capitulum solitary, sessile in center of leaf rosette or terminal on stem. Involucre broadly campanulate, 1.5-4 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows, blackish purple, subglabrous, apex long acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-triangular, 10-15 × 3-5 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 12-18 × 2-3 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 15-25 × 1-2 mm. Corolla bluish purple, 1.8-2.6 cm, tube 1-1.8 cm, limb 8-11 mm, lobes 5-6 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, 3-4 mm, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 2-5 mm, scabrid; inner bristles 1.3-2 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep.
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