Herbs 5-15 cm tall, subglabrous at base. Petiole purplish at base, narrow; leaf blade mid-green, narrowly oblanceolate, 4-10 × 0.8-1.5 cm, glabrous, shallowly to deeply lobed; lateral lobes 3 or 4 pairs, ± narrowly triangular, recurved, margin entire and on distal side often concave, apex elongated and subacute; terminal lobe triangular, often elongated with subpatent basal segments. Scapes brownish green, ± equaling leaves, glabrous. Capitulum 2-3 cm wide. Involucre blackish, 8-10 mm wide, base ± rounded. Outer phyllaries 10-12, blackish and slightly pruinose, subimbricate, ovate-lanceolate, outermost ones 4-6 × 2-3 mm and 1/5-1/3 as long as inner ones, appressed, paler border absent, margin glabrous, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries blackish green, 1-1.3 cm. Ligules yellow; outer ligules flat, outside striped pale grayish. Stigmas blackish. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene (when unripe) brownish, 4-5 mm; body apically distinctly spinulose, subgradually narrowing into a 0.4-0.6 mm cone. Pappus white, ca. 6 mm. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.