A small herb, up to 20 cm tall, brown hairy. Leaves green, basal ones small, lobed, dentate, ovate or oblanceolate, upper ones lobed, lobes triangular, broadly dentate, 4 on each side, terminal lobe c. 3 cm long, broadly deltoid. Scapes thin, densely brown hairy above. Capitula c. 1.5 cm across. Involucre narrow, truncate at base, 15 x 7 – 8  mm, slightly green; outer phyllaries appressed or ± reflexed-patent, 5 x 0.7 – 1.2 mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, not marginate, brown ciliate; inner ones broadly marginate, violaceous and subcallose at the apex. Ligules deep yellow, peripheral ones with dark grey stripes outside. Anthers polliniferous. Styles and stigmas drying black. Cypsela orangish to reddish, c. 3.5 mm long, recurved spinulose at the top and just below, patent, lower part smooth, with c. 1.5 mm long, gradually formed cone bearing a few spinules; beak up to 8 mm long; pappus c. 5 mm long, dull white.