Herbs, perennial, glabrous or puberulent. Stems erect, 10-20 cm tall, sparsely branched. Leaves sessile, semiamplexicaul; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, pinnatisect or lacerate, segments irregularly dentate; basal leaves 5-12 × 5-6 cm. Cauline leaves opposite, 4-5 cm, apex acute. Peduncles 5-6 cm or even longer; capitula terminal, oblate-globose, 3.5-4 cm in diam.; involucral bracts 3-whorled, lanceolate; outermost ones ca. 1.5 cm; inner ones shorter; bracts spatulate, ca. 5 mm; involucels 4-ribbed, with 8 pits at apex, crown membranous, 4-lobed; lobes obtuse. Calyx 5-setose, radial. Corolla blue-purple; marginal ray flowers usually larger, corolla ca. 1.8 cm, 5-lobed, 2-lipped. Stamens 4, all fertile. Style filiform. Achenes surrounded by involucels, and crowned with persistent involucels and calyx setae, obovoid, 3-3.5 mm; setae ca. 1 mm.
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