Stems erect, simple, 40–100 cm. Herbage loosely tomentose to glabrate. Leaf blades lanceolate to ovate, serrate, 4–12 cm long. Involucres 10–15 mm high; phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, strongly imbricate in ca. 5 series, villous, tomentose and purple on the margins. Disk flowers 8 to 21; corollas 10–13 mm long. Achenes 4–6 mm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Moist soil of tall herb meadows, open forests, avalanche slopes; montane, lower subalpine (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).