Perennial herb with glabrous erect stems 20–60 cm high arising from a tuberous rootstock. Leaves mostly basal, sessile, rather succulent, variable, oblanceolate in outline, 9.5–21 cm long, 0.8–3(–7) cm wide, tapered into a petioloid base, usually with remote obscure to prominent marginal teeth or narrow forward-pointing lobes, apex obtuse, minutely and obtusely acuminate-apiculate, glabrous, shiny green with paler mid-rib and main veins and with mid-rib of petioloid base purple. Capitula discoid, numerous in erect compound terminal corymbs; stalks of individual capitula sparsely glandular-pubescent; involucre cylindrical, 7–10 mm long, 2.5–4 mm in diameter; bracts of calyculus 1–3, lanceolate, acute, almost glabrous, pale green with yellowish tips, 1.5–3 mm long; phyllaries 5, glabrous or almost so, 6.5–7 mm long. Ray florets 0; disc florets yellow, corolla 5–7.5 mm long, glabrous, tube expanded above the middle, lobes 1–1.5 mm long. Achenes 4.5 mm long, ribbed, hairy; pappus 5–5.5 mm long.
