Herbs 15-50 cm tall, perennial, with a taproot ?and shoot-bearing lateral roots. Caudex with residues of old leaf bases. Stem solitary, erect, mostly unbranched below synflorescence, ± glabrous, leafy. Basal and lower stem leaves narrowly spatulate, 3-11 × 0.7-1.5 cm, often somewhat fleshy, glabrous, base attenuate into a petiole-like portion and semiamplexicaul, margin entire or sinuate-dentate, apex obtuse to acute. Middle and upper stem leaves few, lanceolate, similar to lower ones but gradually smaller and narrower toward stem apex, margin rather entire. Synflorescence paniculiform, with many capitula. Peduncle wiry, usually shorter than involucre. Involucre dark green, narrowly cylindric, 8-10 mm. Phyllaries abaxially ± glabrous [to setose along midvein]; outer phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, longest 2.5-3 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries 8, midvein subapically usually plane, apex ± acute. Achene brown, fusiform, ca. 5 mm, apex truncate. Pappus ca. 7 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep.
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