Perennial, tufted, rhizomatous, (0-) 4 – 12 (-15) cm tall herb. Stems several, when present, each originating from densely branched rootstock covered with dense purplish-green, fibrous-lacerated petiolar residue or remains of previous years leaves, densely arachnoid-floccose to glabrescent. Leaves discolorous, glabrous or sparsely hairy above, densely greyish white hairy beneath, usually in rosette and spreading on ground, on upto 4 cm long petioles, linear-oblong to elliptic or oblanceolate, 4 – 15 (-18) cm long, (0.8-) 1 – 1.5 cm wide, pinnatisect, lateral lobes 5 – 8 (-12) on each side, ± triangular to broadly ovate or elliptic, 1.2 – 3.5 cm long, 3 – 6 mm wide, basally entire or with one shallow tooth or auricle on side, obtuse and mucronate at the apices, terminal lobes small, triangular, obtuse. Capitula solitary, amidst rosette of leaves or terminal on stem, 1.5 – 2.5 cm across. Involucre broadly campanulate, 8 – 12 mm wide. Phyllaries 5-seriate, glabrous, hardly reflexed above; outer and median phyllaries narrowly triangular ovate to lanceolate, 9 – 12 mm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, purplish on margins, acuminate, inner ones linear-lanceolate, 14 – 15 mm long, 1.5 – 2.5 mm wide, acute. Receptacular bristles 2 – 3 mm long. Corolla purplish-red, (15-) 18 – 22 mm long, tube 10 – 14 mm long, limb 7 – 8 mm long with 4-5 mm long lobes. Cypselas oblong, 2.5 – 4 mm long, transversely rugose, glabrous. Pappus biseriate, pale-brown, outer bristles scabrous, 2 – 3 mm long, inner bristles 12 – 15 mm long.