Aracium multicaule (Ledebour) D. Dietrich; Crepis multicaulis subsp. congesta (Regel & Herder) Babcock; C. multicaulis var. congesta Regel & Herder; C. multicaulis var. laxa Regel & Herder; C. multicaulis subsp. subintegrifolia Tolmatchew & Rebrikova; C. stoliczkae C. B. Clarke.

Herbs 8-60 cm tall, perennial, with a short ± oblique rhizome, rosulate. Stems few to numerous, rarely solitary, rather slender, erect or curved-ascending, branched apically, glabrous or basally with sparse arachnoid hairs, usually ± leafless. Rosette leaves narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, ovate-oblanceolate, elliptic, or spatulate, 3.5-11 × 0.7-2 cm, undivided or pinnatifid to pinnatipartite, both surfaces short white pubescent, base attenuate into a petiole-like portion, margin entire or sinuate-dentate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded; lateral lobes (if present) triangular, narrowly triangular, or elliptic, gradually smaller toward leaf base, apex obtuse to acute. Stem leaves 0-2, much reduced in size, linear, margin entire. Synflorescence paniculiform or corymbosely so, with few to several capitula. Capitula with 30-40 florets; peduncle slender, often curved-erect, with dense white arachnoid hairs and stiff greenish glandular hairs. Involucre cylindric, 7-9 × 3-5 mm. Outer phyllaries triangular-ovate to lanceolate, longest to 3 mm, apex acute to obtuse; inner phyllaries 8-10, abaxially with white arachnoid hairs and stiff greenish glandular hairs along midvein, adaxially glabrous, margin scarious, apex acute to obtuse. Anther tube 1-2 mm. Achene reddish brown, fusiform, straight or subcurved, ca. 4 mm, with 10-12 ribs. Pappus white, ca. 4 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Aug. 2n = 10.

Crepis multicaulis and C. elongata are closely related, and their delimitation needs reassessment.

Forests, forest margins, open places in forests, grasslands, gravelly areas by streams and water, floodplains; 1600-3600 m. Xinjiang [Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, C and SW Russia, Tajikistan; SW Asia, N Europe].