Herb 50–120(–200 outside our area) cm tall, with annual stems from a perennial creeping rhizome; stems unbranched but for the inflorescence, sparsely hispid with simple hairs.. Leaves sessile, erect or ascending, ovate to narrowly oblong or lanceolate, 1.2–7 cm long, 0.3–2.4 cm wide, decreasing in size and becoming relatively narrower up the stem, base cuneate to rounded, margins revolute and remotely obscurely denticulate, apex acute and apiculate, scabrid on both surfaces but more sparsely so beneath, with dense sessile glands beneath.. Capitula few to several in lax terminal corymbiform cymes; stalks of individual capitula thinly pubescent; involucre campanulate, 5–10 mm long; phyllaries 5-seriate, purplish especially towards the apex and on upper margins, ovate to lanceolate, 1.5–8.2 mm long, the outer acute, the inner obtuse and sometimes slightly expanded at the apex, all apiculate or pungent, thinly arachnoid with brownish hairs.. Corolla mauve or purple, 7–8.2 mm long, lobes 2–2.7 mm long, glabrous or with a few long apical hairs.. Achenes brown, cylindric, 2–2.5 mm long, 5–10-ribbed, ascending-pubescent, glandular; outer pappus 0.6–1.2 mm long, inner pappus 5–6 mm long.
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