Herbs 10-20 cm tall. Petiole purple, narrow, unwinged; leaf blade mid-green to slightly bluish green, linear-oblanceolate, 7-13 × (0.7-)0.9-1.3(-2) cm, usually ± arachnoid, later often subglabrous, margin in outer leaves shallowly lobulate to sinuate-dentate but in middle leaves deeply lobed to dissected; lateral lobes 4-7 pairs, ± linear, 1-1.5(-2.2) mm wide, ± remote, ± patent, often bent upward, margin entire; interlobes usually 1.2-1.5(-2.5) mm wide, margin entire; terminal lobe usually ± linear, elongated, narrow, apex ± acute. Scapes greenish, ± overtopping leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum 2-2.5 cm wide. Involucre 6-7 mm wide, base ± subobconic. Outer phyllaries 12-18, deep green to dark green but with reddish apex, imbricate, usually lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, outermost ones 4-5.2(-6) × (1.3-)1.6-2.5 mm and ca. 1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed, with ± distinct whitish 0.3-0.5 mm wide border, margin glabrous, apex often acuminate from ± ovate base, with a callosity near apex; inner phyllaries 1.1-1.4 cm, apex ± flat to callose. Ligules inside ± white; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped pink to grayish pink; inner ligules probably yellowish, ± flat, with pale reddish or reddish gray apical teeth. Stigmas pale green with darker pubescence. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene light grayish straw-colored brown, 3.3-3.8 × ca. 0.9 mm; body subsparsely spinulose above, subabruptly narrowing into a subcylindric 0.8-1.1 × 0.3-0.4 mm cone, spinules coarse and distinct; beak 5-6 mm, ± thin. Pappus yellowish white, 5.5-6 mm. Fl. spring to early summer. Agamosperm.
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