Herbs 12-16(-25) cm tall, ± medium-sized. Petiole pinkish to purplish, short, ± broadly winged; leaf blade grayish green and slightly suffused reddish brown, oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, usually 8-14 × 1.5-2.5(-4) cm, sparsely arachnoid, deeply pinnatilobed, midvein pale green and adaxially sparsely arachnoid; lateral lobes 4-9, triangular, narrowly triangular, or deltoid, 0.8-1.2 × 4-10 mm, ± patent, proximal margin straight to ± concave and ± entire or sometimes with several minute teeth, distal margin ± straight to slightly sigmoid and entire or with a few teeth; interlobes not spotted, 4-8 mm wide, margin dentate, teeth of variable length and density and with an attenuate apex; terminal lobe ± broadly triangular, distal margin ± straight and entire, apex acute or mucronate. Scapes pinkish to purplish green at base, ± equaling leaves, ± densely floccose-arachnoid. Capitulum ca. 4 cm wide, sometimes nodding after anthesis. Involucre 1-1.1 cm wide, base rounded. Outer phyllaries 16-20, lanceolate to ovate, outermost ones 7-10 × 3.5-4.5 mm and 1/2-2/3 as long as inner ones, erect, erect-patent, or loosely appressed, middle part dark grayish green with a gradual transition into a pale whitish green ca. 1 mm wide border, apical 1/4-1/3 usually suffused purplish, margin sparsely ciliate, apex often slightly recurved, usually flat below tip; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.4 cm, apex flat. Ligules golden yellow; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped dark grayish, with black apical teeth; inner ligules with yellow or red apical teeth. Stigmas dirty yellow to greenish. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains regular in size. Achene very pale yellowish brown to grayish ivory white, 3.5-4.5 × 0.7-0.9 mm; body narrow, relatively densely shortly spinulose in upper 1/5-1/4, very gradually narrowing into a relatively thick subcylindric (0.6-)0.7-0.9 mm cone, spinules ± erect; beak 8.5-10 mm. Pappus slightly yellowish white, 6-7 mm. Fl. late spring to summer. Agamosperm.
Home