Herbs 40-90 cm tall, perennial, polycarpic. Caudex stout, simple or few branched. Stem solitary, 5-7 mm in diam., erect, simple or apically branched. Basal and lower stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 20-30(-40) × 0.8-4 cm, abaxially light green, gland-dotted, and thinly tomentose but glabrescent, adaxially dark green and sparsely pilose but glabrescent, margin remotely denticulate, apex acuminate. Middle and upper stem leaves narrowly elliptic to linear, 8-20 × 1-2.5 cm. Uppermost stem leaves linear, 4-8 × 0.2-1.2 cm. Capitula 6-17, in a densely congested or laxly corymbiform synflorescence, sessile or pedunculate. Involucre obovoid to globose, (0.8-)1-1.3 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate, (7-)10-17 × 2-3.5 mm, apex long acuminate; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate, 6-8 × 1.5-2.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse; inner phyllaries linear, 9-10 × 1-1.5 mm, apex obtuse. Receptacle bristles 6-7 mm. Corolla blackish purple, 1-1.1 cm, tube 5-6 mm, limb 5-5.5 mm, lobes 2.5-3 mm. Achene (ripe) unknown. Pappus light brown; outer bristles 2-3 mm; inner bristles 8-9 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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