Herbs 20-60 cm tall, perennial. Stem erect, simple or apically few branched, winged, arachnoid and brown floccose. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 3-6 cm; leaf blade ovate-elliptic to elliptic, (3-)6-12 × 3-7.5 cm, thick, abaxially grayish white and densely tomentose, adaxially green to yellowish green and sparsely white or pale brown floccose, base attenuate and decurrent, margin dentate, apex obtuse. Middle and upper stem leaves elliptic to narrowly elliptic, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula several, in a paniculiform or corymbiform synflorescence. Involucre narrowly campanulate to obconic, 6-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 5 or 6 rows, yellowish green but usually purple apically, arachnoid, apex long acuminate; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate, ca. 6 × 1 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly elliptic, 8-9 × ca. 3 mm; inner phyllaries linear, ca. 10 × 1.5 mm. Corolla blackish purple, ca. 1.5 cm, tube ca. 5 mm, limb ca. 1 cm. Achene cylindric, ca. 4 mm, glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles ca. 3 mm, scabrid; inner bristles ca. 1.1 cm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
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