Tap rooted or rhizomatous biennial or perennial herbs. Stem 5 – 45 (–50) cm tall, erect – suberect, solitary or much branched, mostly above and from the middle, sparsely – moderately hirsute or hispid–strigillose, hairs appressed, sometime mixed with glandular hairs, usually more dense below capitulum. Leaves glabrescent or hirsute – strigillose – villose on either side, basal leaves usually present, withering at anthesis, oblanceolate or spathulate – oblong, 2 – 10 (–13) cm long (including petiole), 0.5 – 1.5 (–2) cm wide, obtuse – acute, mostly entire, rarely remotely serrate (or with tiny, acute teeth); cauline leaves lanceolate – oblanceolate or elliptic, oblong, 0.8 – 7.5 (–9) cm long, 0.5 – 1 cm wide, obtuse – acute, entire, sessile – subclasping, uppermost similar to cauline leaves but smaller in size. Capitula usually numerous, 1 – 1.5 (–2) cm across, in dense or laxly broad – narrow corymbiform or racemose – paniculate synflorescence. Involucre hemispheric, 1–1.5 cm in diameter, green – darkened or blackened. Phyllaries 2 – 3–seriate, linear – lanceolate, acute – acuminate, hirsute – villous, intermixed with glandular hairs, outer and middle ones 3 – 5 (– 6) mm long, 1– 1.5 mm wide, inner ones 7 – 8 mm long, 0.5 – 1 mm wide. Female eligulate florets 2.5 – 3 mm long. Ray florets 50 – 100 (– 120), purplish – rosy or white, 3 – 5 (–7) mm long, corolla tube 1.5 – 2.5 (–3) mm long. Disc florets yellow, 4.5 – 5 mm long, tube 1.5 – 2 mm long, limb 2.5 – 3 mm long including up to 0.5 mm long lobes. Cypselas oblanceolate – obovoid, 2 – 2.5 (–3) mm long, 0.3 – 0.5 (–1.2) mm wide, straw colored – brown, somewhat compressed, sericeous. Outer bristles of pappus ca 0.5 mm long, inner ones 4 – 5 (–6) mm long, dirty white – pale, rosy brown or straw yellow coloured.