Herbs 12-20 cm tall. Petiole green or purple, narrow, very sparsely arachnoid at base; leaf blade light green to mid-green, linear-oblanceolate, (8-)12-16 × 1.2-3 cm, sparsely arachnoid, usually almost undivided to shallowly lobed for early leaves, pinnatisect for later leaves; lateral lobes or teeth 4-6 pairs, from a broad base abruptly narrowing into a ± linear 3-10 × 1.5-2 mm distal part, often slightly broadened near apex or evenly broad and apex acute, usually ± recurved or patent and distally curved upward, proximal margin ± straight or convex and entire, distal margin ± concave and entire or with one basal tooth; interlobes with margin entire or with a 1 or 2 teeth or lobules; terminal lobe ± elongated, 3-partite, basal segments patent and similar to lateral lobes, terminal segment narrowly triangular and margin entire or with 1 tooth. Scapes purplish green, ± overtopping leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum 3-4 cm wide. Involucre 1-1.2 cm wide, base ± rounded. Outer phyllaries (9-)11-15(-17), dark blackish green, ± not imbricate, narrowly lanceolate to ± linear-lanceolate, outermost ones 5-6(-8) × (1-)1.7-2.2 mm and 1/3-1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed, paler border not developed, margin ± ciliate, apex usually minutely corniculate; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.5 cm, apex ± minutely blackish corniculate. Ligules pale yellowish white; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped grayish purple; inner ligules with grayish purple apical teeth. Stigmas grayish green. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene initially (when almost ripe) light ochraceous red but finally turning dark grayish reddish brown, (4.3-)4.6-4.9(-5.1) × 1.2-1.3 mm; body densely spinulose in upper half, subgradually narrowing into a ± cylindric 0.8-1.1 × ca. 0.4 mm cone, spinules distinct, straight, and erect-patent; beak 8-9 mm. Pappus pale yellowish white, ca. 7 mm. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.
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