Herbs 10–25 cm tall. Petiole pinkish purple, winged; leaf blade deep green with a light green midvein sometimes pinkish near base, ± oblong-oblanceolate, 7–18 × 3–4 cm, sparsely arachnoid to subglabrous, ± pinnatisect; lateral lobes 3–5 pairs, ± triangular, relatively broad, usually hamate-recurved, distal margin convex and usually entire or seldom denticulate; interlobes short but proximal ones longer, margin entire or denticulate, often with a raised dark border; terminal lobe ± helmetshaped or almost rounded, base often cordate, proximal margin ± straight or sigmoid, distal margin convex and ± entire, apex subobtuse to obtuse and mucronate. Scape light green but later brownish purple, ± arachnoid. Capitulum 3.5–5 cm wide. Involucre base ± rounded. Outer phyllaries 14–18, regularly arranged, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, (10–)11–13(–14) × 2.3–3.5 mm, arcuate-recurved, abaxially dark green and often suffused purplish brown, adaxially grayish green, ± unbordered. Ligules deep yellow; outer ligules flat, outside striped light grayish brownish purple. Stigmas dark grayish green to almost blackish. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains variable in size. Achene grayish straw-colored brown, (3.4–)3.8–4.3 mm, ± densely spinulose in upper ca. 1/4, ± abruptly narrowing into a ± conic 0.5–0.6 mm cone; beak 1–1.1 cm. Pappus ± white, ca. 6 mm. Fl. spring. Agamosperm. 2n = 24.

from: Ge X., Kirschner J. & Štepánek J. in Wu Z. Y. & al. (ed.), Flora of China 20–21: 324–325. 2011, Beijing & St Louis.