Herbs 10-20 cm tall. Petiole greenish or pale pinkish, narrow, very sparsely arachnoid at base; leaf blade light green to mid-green, linear to ± oblong-linear, (4-)7-12 × 0.9-2 cm, ± glabrous on both surfaces, undivided to pinnatifid or pinnatisect; lateral lobes or teeth (3 or)4-6 pairs, ± triangular to ± linear, 2-7 × ca. 1.5 mm, ± recurved to patent, proximal margin ± straight and entire, distal margin entire and ± concave; interlobes broad, margin entire or with a single tooth; terminal lobe elongated, base sagittate, apex subacute. Scapes overtopping leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum 2.5-3 cm wide. Involucre 7-9 mm wide, base narrowly rounded. Outer phyllaries usually 11-15, dark blackish olivaceous, ± not imbricate, narrowly lanceolate to ± linear-lanceolate, outermost ones (4-)5-7(-8) × 1.5-2 mm and 2/5-1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed to ± loosely appressed, paler border not developed or greenish, inconspicuous, and to 0.1 mm wide, margin ± densely whitish to yellowish ciliate, apex flat; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.4 cm, apex flat. Ligules white; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped light grayish purple; inner ligules ± pale yellowish, with grayish purple apical teeth. Stigmas gray-green. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene reddish brown to ochraceous reddish brown when fully ripe, 3.9-4.2 × ca. 1.1 mm; body densely spinulose throughout, less densely at base, subabruptly narrowing into a subcylindric 0.8-1 mm cone, spinules coarse, erect to sickle-shaped pointing upward, and usually laterally compressed; beak ca. 6 mm. Pappus pale yellowish white, ca. 6 mm. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.
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