Plants 15–70 cm, usually in clumps, sometimes in large clones, densely long-stipitate-glandular distally; woody, branched, thick, usually short rhizomes or short caudices. Stems 1–3+, straight, stout, glabrous or sparsely hispid proximally, distally ± hispido-villous. Leaves basal and cauline, firm, margins entire, strigoso-ciliate, distal also stipitate-glandular, apices mucronate, faces glabrous or glabrescent to ± densely hispid or strigose (then ± scabrous), particularly on veins, midveins sometimes notably hispido-villous, proximally ± sparsely, distally ± densely stipitate-glandular; basal and proximal cauline long-petiolate (to 100+ mm), petioles ± broadly winged, bases sheathing or auriculate-clasping, blades ovate-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 33–180+ × 11–50 mm, bases attenuate, apices acute or obtuse to rounded; mid sessile, blades oblong or oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, or lance-ovate, 30–140 × 7–27 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases auriculate-clasping, apices usually acute, rarely obtuse; distal (arrays) narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 9–50 × 3–20 mm. Heads 3–41+ in elongate, racemo-corymbiform arrays, branches ascending. Peduncles ± densely long-stipitate-glandular; bracts 0(–2), densely stipitate-glandular. Involucres campanulate, 8–14 mm, much shorter than pappi. Phyllaries 25–40 in 3–4 series, inner often purplish, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), ± unequal, membranous, bases pale, indurate, sometimes rounded (outer), distally foliaceous (3/4+ in outer, seldom to base, to 1/5 in inner) and wider than bases, margins narrowly scarious (non-foliaceous parts), purplish (at least inner), ciliate and/or stipitate-glandular (along foliaceous parts), apices squarrose, usually acute, sometimes acuminate, faces densely stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 8–27; corollas violet-purple, 10–15 × 1.2–2.2 mm. Disc florets 20–50; corollas pale yellow turning pinkish or purplish, 6–7.8 mm, slightly ampliate, tubes much shorter than cylindric to narrowly funnelform throats, lobes erect, lanceolate, 0.6–0.8 mm. Cypselae greenish stramineous, fusiform-obconic, slightly compressed, 4.2–4.7 mm, ribs 7–10, faces ± densely hirtellous; pappi of stramineous to tawny bristles 7–8 mm, ± equaling disc corollas. 2n = 18.
