Stenactis multiradiata Lindley ex Candolle, Prodr. 5: 299. 1836; Aster inuloides D. Don; A. roylei Onno; Erigeron multiradiatus var. glabrescens Y. Ling & Y. L. Chen; E. multiradiatus var. ovatifolius Y. Ling & Y. L. Chen; E. multiradiatus var. salicifolius C. C. Chang ex Y. Ling & Y. L. Chen.

Herbs, perennial, 20-60 cm tall; rhizome woody. Stems several or single, 2-4 mm in diam. at base, erect, ascending or procumbent, branched or sometimes simple, purplish at base, rarely green, sparsely or ± densely hirsute, scabridulous, base sometimes glabrate, long-stipitate glandular. Leaves: basal rosulate, often withered at anthesis, long winged petiolate, blade oblong-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, sometimes ovate to ovate-elliptic, (4-)5-15 × 0.6-1.5(-2.6) cm, surfaces scabrous or rarely sparsely long hairy, or rarely glabrate or glabrous, glandular, 3-5-veined, base attenuate, sometimes broad, margin entire or remotely serrate, hirsute-ciliate, apex acute or obtuse, rarely rounded or acuminate; lower cauline similar, shortly petiolate, mid sessile, blade ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, rarely narrowly lanceolate, 3-6(-8.5) × 0.6-2.2 cm, base subclasping, margin entire or remotely serrate, apex acute or acuminate, upper sessile, reduced, linear or linear-lanceolate, 1-2 cm, apex acuminate. Capitula usually 2 to several in corymbiform synflorescences, or solitary, 3-4 cm in diam. or more. Involucre hemispheric, 8-10 × 15-20 mm; phyllaries 3-seriate, green, apex or entire surface purplish, linear-lanceolate, distinctly exceeding disk florets, 0.6-1 mm wide, abaxially sparsely to densely hirsute, densely stipitate glandular apically, leaflike (outer and inner), margin stipitate glandular, apex acuminate, outer 5-5.4 mm, innermost 6.8-7.6 mm, membranous, margin not or narrowly scarious and hyaline, long acuminate. Ray florets lilac or lavender to purple, spreading, 8.8-17 × 0.4-1 mm, 2 × as long as involucre, tube 1.5-2 mm, sparsely hairy in upper part to lamina base, lamina ± flat when dry; disk florets yellow, 2.9-4.5 mm, tube 0.7-1.5 mm, sparsely hairy above to limb base, limb narrowly funnelform, 2.1-2.3 mm, lobes ovate, 0.4-0.6 mm, glabrous. Achenes oblong to lanceolate, flattened, ca. 2 mm, sparsely strigose, 1-veined abaxially. Pappus 2-seriate, dirty white or yellowish to brownish, outer bristles short, inner ca. 4 mm. Fl. May-Sep.

In addition to the typical variety, three varieties have been recognized in this species. Erigeron multiradiatus var. ovatifolius (SW Sichuan: Muli) is characterized by ovate to ovate-elliptic leaves with a rounded-obtuse, mucronate apex. Erigeron multiradiatus var. salicifolius (NW Yunnan: Weixi; ca. 2900 m, in forests) has thin, narrowly lanceolate, sparsely long hairy leaves with an attenuate, somewhat clasping base and an acute or acuminate apex. These may represent extremes of leaf variation of the species or distinct forms or even the result of phenotypic plasticity in the case of E. multiradiatus var. salicifolius, which is found in forests; a morphometric study of the complex would be needed to address this issue. Erigeron multiradiatus var. glabrescens, found in alpine meadows of NW Yunnan (Zhongdian; ca. 3200 m), has glabrate or glabrous, entire leaves; other reported features appear to fall within the range of variation of the species.

Alpine or subalpine meadows, slopes, forest margins, forests, open hillsides; 2300-4600 m. Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal; SW Asia (Iran)].