Herbs (4-)12-20(-30) cm tall. Petiole green to purplish, often 3-6 cm, narrow, sparsely arachnoid; leaf blade mid-green, of variable shape, oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, (2-)5-10(-15) × 1.5-3.5 cm, arachnoid and usually densely so, margin almost undivided and sinuate-dentate or more often deeply pinnatisect; lateral lobes (3-)5-9(-11) pairs, narrowly triangular to narrowly deltoid, ± approximate, ± patent, sometimes subrecurved, margin entire or rarely ± dentate and on distal side usually sigmoid; interlobes short, narrow; terminal lobe triangular to 3-partite, terminal segment narrowly triangular and apex acute to subobtuse. Scapes brownish green or purplish, overtopping leaves, arachnoid but lanate below capitulum. Capitulum (1-)1.5-2.5(-3.5) cm wide. Involucre 0.8-1.2 cm wide, base broadly obconic to obconic-rounded. Outer phyllaries (9 or)10-13(or 14), ± imbricate, ovate-lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate, or rarely ovate, outermost ones (5-)6.5-8.5(-10.5) × (1.3-)2-3(-3.5) mm and 3/5-4/5 as long as inner ones, ± appressed, sometimes arachnoid on abaxial surface near apex, middle part black and usually 0.7-1.1 mm wide, with a sharp transition into a broad white to whitish pink border, margin densely ciliate, apex ± flat or blackish callose. Ligules yellow, not striped or outside very faintly striped grayish; inner ligules with yellow or pinkish apical teeth; floret tube ± glabrous. Stigmas variable in color, usually yellow, dirty yellow, or greenish yellow but sometimes blackish green (within population). Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains regular in size. Achene (not fully ripe) grayish straw-colored brown, (4-)4.5-4.9 × 0.9-1 mm; body spinulose in upper ca. 1/3, subgradually narrowing into a subconic 0.6-0.8 mm cone, spinules minute and thin. Pappus white, 5-6 mm. Fl. summer. Sexual.
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