Rhizome slightly thickish, much branched; upper leaves dense, withered, with terminal rosette leaves and flowering stems. Stems erect or ascending, up to 20 cm, slightly thickish, herbaceous, fulvous tomentose, with slightly dense or sparse leaves. Lower leaves persistent in efflorescence, homomorphic with rosette leaves, obovate or oblong-spatulate, 1.5-4 × 0.5-1 cm, base attenuate to a brown, glabrous, broad sheath, apex rounded or obtuse; middle and upper leaves erect, adherent to stems, spatulate-oblong or narrowly oblong, 2-4 × 0.3-0.7(-1) cm, base decurrent on stem into an indistinct short wing, margin flat, apex obtuse or rounded, with short black cusp; upper leaves acuminate, with withered long cusp; all leaves fulvous brown tomentose on both surfaces, indistinctly 3-veined. Capitula 7-10, densely glomerulate. Involucre broadly campanulate, ca. 10 × 10 mm; phyllaries ca. 5-seriate, expanding; outer phyllaries brown, oval-lanceolate, ca. 4 mm, brown tomentose; middle ones obovate or oblong-lanceolate, 9-10 × 2.5-3.5 mm, acute at apex, but obtuse in male capitula, upper parts yellowish white; innermost ones linear-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, with a claw ca. 3/5 of full length. Receptacle with chaffy process. Predominantly female capitula with numerous marginal female florets, center with 3-6 male florets; predominantly male capitula with numerous male florets. Corolla tube ca. 5 mm. Pappus 6-7 mm, incrassate at tip of apex in male florets, serrulate. Achenes oblong, ca. 2 mm, densely papillose. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep.

● Alpine dry rocky slopes; 3800-4300 m. NE, NW, and W Yunnan.