Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, (4–) 6–12 (–18) cm long, 1–4 cm wide, greyish to yellowish green, glabrescent; upper lateral lobes in 5 or 6 pairs, triangular to falcate; distal margins entire to denticulate, sometimes with 1 or 2 patent teeth, the proximal margins and adjacent interlobes entire or rarely with 1 small tooth; terminal lobe relatively short, triangular to trilobulate; petiole rose-purple, with wings very narrow to absent; midrib usually rose-purple in proximal ¾. Scapes (1–) 6–12 (–18) cm long at anthesis, 8–25 cm long in fruit, white-woolly in bud, glabrescent at flowering except below capitulum, usually rose-purple throughout. Capitula 2.5–3.5 cm diam.; outer bracts broadly lanceolate to lanceolate, 7–9 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, recurved, very narrowly white-bordered (c. 0.1 mm wide), not marginally ciliolate, variably callose at tips; innermost bracts linear, c. 15 mm long, c. 2 mm wide, rarely callus-tipped. Outer florets with ligule often involute, exceeding involucre by 2–4 (–6) mm; anthers with pollen; stigmas greenish yellow. Achenes narrowly to broadly fusiform, 4–5 mm long, 0.8–1.0 mm wide, with short, flat, rarely recurved spines 0.2−0.3 mm long at apex, red-brown, the lower ⅔ verrucate, rarely smooth; cone 0.8–1 mm long; beak 8–9 mm long. Pappus 6–7 mm long.
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