Echenais sieversii Fischer & C. A. Meyer, Enum. Pl. Nov. 1: 44. 1841.

Herbs 1-2 m tall, perennial. Stems erect, long branched, unwinged, with sparse long multicellular hairs. Leaves concolorous, green, surface smooth, glabrous or ± hairy. Upper cauline leaves sessile, elliptic to lanceolate, 10-18 × 3-6 cm, pinnately lobed or pinnatifid; segments 3-5 pairs, obliquely ovate to semiorbicular, with 3-5 unequal triangular teeth each with few to many lateral spinules and a 4-6 mm apical spine. Capitula 3-6 in terminal cluster or many, terminal, and paniculate, surrounded by pectinately spiny bracts with long pungent spines. Involucre narrowly ovoid, 1.5-2 cm in diam., glabrous. Phyllaries imbricate, in ca. 7 rows; outer and middle phyllaries 3-10 × 1-2 mm, above base with densely and regularly denticulate-lacerate wings, apex narrowed into a 1-3 mm spinule; inner phyllaries 10-12 × ca. 1 mm, apex acuminate and scarious. Florets bisexual. Corolla purplish red, ca. 2 cm, tube as long as limb. Mature achene not seen. Pappus bristles brownish, ca. 1.5 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.

Forests on mountain slopes, by water; 1600-2900 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan].