Subscapose herb from perennial rootstock, with basal rosette of leaves and a single (or rarely 2–3) stem(s) with 1–3 or without cauline leaves, 8–60 cm high; stems reddish-purple, occasionally with a branch, pilose. Leaves of rosette shiny, sometimes with reddish midrib, sessile, (narrowly) obovate to slightly spatulate, 3–26 cm long, 0.8–5 cm wide, base gradually narrowing but the very base semi-amplexicaul, margins ciliate and in the distal half of the leaf serrate or dentate with callose teeth, apex obtuse and mucronate, scabrid or more often glabrous except for the margins; cauline leaves usually smaller, with the base less narrowed. Capitula 7–12 mm long, several together in dense cymes or rarely solitary and terminal, cymes terminal or few together in sparse terminal leafy corymbs; stalks of individual capitula 2–6 mm long, densely pubescent to hispid; phyllaries green, sometimes red-tipped, 2–3-seriate, the outermost smallest, 3–8 mm long, 1–2.5 mm wide, margins scarious, apex acute, sparsely pubescent; receptacle convex to toroid, toothed. Florets pale yellow; marginal florets many, tube 2–3 mm long, minutely dentate distally, style 4.2–5.7 mm long; central florets > 20, tube 3.2–4 mm long, lobes 0.5–0.8 mm long; anthers 1.2–1.3 mm long with triangular appendages; style 4.5–5.4 mm long, with short papillose flattened triangular branches. Achenes obovoid, slightly compressed, 1.5–2 mm long, sparsely pilose; pappus of white setae 4.5–7 mm long. Fig. 106 (page 511).
