Stem solitary, erect, purplish red, 20-50 cm tall, 3-5 mm in diam. at base, proximally glabrous, distally purplish brown pilose. Basal leaves lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 7-23 cm × 3-45 mm, parallel veined, glabrous, base narrowed into a winged petiole, margin entire, apex acute or acuminate. Middle to distal stem leaves 4 or 5, smaller distally, narrowly lanceolate to linear, base semiamplexicaul. Capitula solitary or rarely 2, nodding. Involucre hemispheric, 0.7-1.5 × 1.3-3.2 cm, outside densely purplish brown pilose; phyllaries 16-24, in 2 rows, lanceolate, 2-4 mm wide, apex acuminate; inner phyllaries narrowly membranous at margin. Florets numerous, yellow, all tubular, 7-8 mm; tube 2-3 mm; limb cylindric. Achenes brown, cylindric, 5-6 mm, ribbed. Pappus white, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.

● Alpine swamps, stream banks, scrub; 3200-4800 m. SW Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.