Perennial herb, the stem 40–80 cm high, bearing both leaves and capitula, glabrous, green with a few purple streaks; root tuberous, like a carrot. Basal leaves unknown, cauline leaves 2–4, sometimes absent, sessile, lanceolate, (3–)5–10 cm long, (0.5–)1–2.2 cm wide, half-amplexicaul, margins sinuate-denticulate, apex acute or acuminate, glabrous; midrib sometimes purple. Capitula ± 20, in lax panicles; involucre cylindric, 11–15 mm long; phyllaries green with purple marks, ovate to lanceolate, 2–12 mm long, glabrous but for the very apex. Corolla white, the ligules tinged mauve beneath, tube cylindrical, ± 3 mm long, ligule 10–11 mm long, 3 mm wide. Achenes flattened, ellipsoid, 3-ribbed on each side, 6.5–7 mm long, hardly beaked, minutely puberulous; pappus white, 7–9.5 mm long.
