Herbs, perennial, 15-50(-60) cm tall, sometimes caespitose; rhizome woody, simple. Stems single or several, 1.5-2 mm in diam., erect or ascending, purple or green above, branched in middle or upper part, sparsely to moderately hirsute-villous, strigillose, base often glabrate, eglandular. Leaves: surfaces sparsely hirsute-villous, sparsely strigillose, sometimes glabrate, eglandular; basal rosulate, withered and fallen at anthesis, long petiolate, blade oblanceolate to oblong; cauline relatively numerous, thin, lower narrowly winged shortly petiolate, blade oblanceolate to oblong, 2-3.5 × 0.2-0.4 cm, ± distinctly 3-veined, base attenuate, margin entire, ciliate, apex obtuse or sometimes acute, mid and upper sessile, blade narrowly oblong, 2-5 × 0.2-0.3 cm, base subclasping, margin entire or with 1 or 2 small teeth, ciliate, apex rounded to obtuse, uppermost reduced, linear. Capitula 2 to many in corymbiform synflorescences, 1-1.5 cm in diam.; peduncles slender; bracts 1 or 2, linear. Involucre campanulate, 5-7 × 10-15 mm; phyllaries 3-seriate, abaxially sparsely hirsute-villous, strigillose, or glabrate, eglandular. Ray florets 2- or 3-seriate, slightly exceeding or equaling disk florets, 5-6 mm, tube 3-3.5 mm, hairy distally, lamina pink to purple, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1-2 mm, involute when dry; disk florets yellow, 4.8-5.3 mm, tube 2.2-2.3 mm, limb cylindric to narrowly funnelform, lobes lanceolate, 0.4-0.5 mm, purplish, glabrous. Achenes straw-colored, oblong, flattened, 2-2.2 mm, strigose, 4-veined. Pappus yellowish to brownish, 2-seriate, outer bristles 0.3-0.4 mm, inner 4.8-5 mm. Fl. Jul-Sep.

Forest margins, stony slopes; 2000-3600 m. W Sichuan, E Xizang, NW Yunnan [Afghanistan].