Plants 70–100 cm high. Taproot stout, woody; crown clothed with fibrous residues of leaf sheaths. Stem gray-white to purple. Basal leaves several; petiole 6–13 cm; blade narrowly elliptic-ovate, 5–8.5 × 2.5–5 cm, palmately 7–9-nerved, prominent on both surfaces, base cordate, margin coarsely toothed, teeth mucronate to short spinulose. Upper leaves sessile, shallowly to deeply 3–5-parted, lobes lanceolate, margin 1–4-spinulose-serrate. Inflorescence 1–4-trifurcate, heads terminal on branches. Flower heads round-ovoid, 8–15 × 7–13 mm; bracts 5–6, linear or lanceolate, margin 1–2-spinulose-serrate, apex acute; bracteoles linear or subulate, ca. 5 mm, as long as calyx teeth. Calyx teeth ovate, 2–2.3 × ca. 1.2 mm. Petals pale blue. Styles erect, ca. 2.5 mm. Fruit long-ellipsoid or subglobose, 3– 3.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, flattened dorsally, clothed with white, narrow long scales. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.

Ruderal of disturbed habitats; 500–1500 m. Xinjiang (Altay, Kukesu, Tacheng) [Kashmir, Russia (W Siberia); C and SW Asia, C and S Europe].