Herbs 5–10 cm tall, small. Petiole pale green to pinkish, arachnoid at base, narrow to narrowly ± winged; leaf blade pale grayish green, oblanceolate to broadly oblanceolate, 4–9 × 1.2–2 cm, almost glabrous, pinnatilobed; lateral lobes in 1–3 pairs, triangular to deltoid, recurved, margin ± entire; interlobes long, margin ± entire; terminal lobe triangular-sagittate, margin entire, apex ± acute. Scapes brownish green, ± equaling leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum 1.5–2.5 cm wide. Involucre 6–8 mm wide, base broadly subconic to ± rounded. Outer phyllaries 8–10, pale grayish green, ± imbricate, ± lanceolate or narrowly so, outermost ones (4–)4.5–5.5 × (1.5–)1.8–2.3 mm and 1/3–1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed, narrow middle part blackish green, border getting paler from pale greenish near middle to whitish green near margin and 0.2–0.3 mm wide, margin subglabrous, apex bordered pinkish and ± flat; inner phyllaries 1–1.2 cm, apex ± flat. Ligules yellow; outer ligules outside faintly striped grayish pink. Stigmas yellow to pale grayish yellow. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains ± regular in size. Achene pale brownish orange, 3.8–4.6 × 0.8–0.9 mm; body ± smooth below, subsparsely spinulose above, apically gradually narrowing into a subcylindric (0.8–)1–1.2(–1.4) mm cone, spinules short and thin; beak ca. 6 mm. Pappus white, 6–7 mm. Fl. late spring to summer. Predominantly sexual.

from: Ge X., Kirschner J. & Štepánek J. in Wu Z. Y. & al. (ed.), Flora of China 20–21: 318. 2011, Beijing & St Louis.