Aster punctatus Waldstein & Kitaibel, Descr. Icon. Pl. Hung. 2: t. 109. 1805; Galatea punctata (Waldstein & Kitaibel) Cassini ex Lessing; Galatella acutisquama Novopokrovsky; G. acutisquamoides Novopokrovsky; G. densiflora (Avé-Lallemant) Novopokrovsky; G. ledebouriana Novopokrovsky; G. punctata var. densiflora Avé-Lallemant; G. rossica Novopokrovsky var. densiflora (Avé-Lallemant) Novopokrovsky.

Herbs, perennial, 28-80 cm tall, papilliform hairy, sparsely scabridulous, thinly shortly arachnoid; rhizome thick. Stems numerous, rarely solitary, erect. Leaves dense, sessile, blade lanceolate-oblong or linear-lanceolate to linear, adaxially or rarely both surfaces gland-dotted, base cuneate, 3-veined, apex long acuminate, mucronate; lower withered after anthesis; mid blade 4-6(-8) × 0.3-0.6 cm; upper reduced, blade linear, 5-10 mm. Capitula numerous, in dense, rarely slightly loose, corymbiform synflorescences, 7-12 × 8-12 mm. Involucre broadly obconic to campanulate, 3-5 × 4-6 mm; phyllaries 3- or 4-seriate, pale green, abaxially glabrate, margin narrowly to ± broadly scarious, erose-fimbriate, 3-veined, rarely partly 1-veined, outer small, ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, inner larger, oblong, apex obtuse or acuminate. Ray florets 5-10, pinkish violet, lamina 10-12 × ca. 2 mm; disk florets 10-15, pale yellow, sometimes pinkish violet tinged, 5-6 mm, limb funnelform, lobes long, oblong-lanceolate. Achenes oblong, 3.5-4 mm, densely white strigose. Pappus brownish, 5-6 mm. Fl. Jul-Sep.

Grasslands on slopes, flood meadows; ca. 1700 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Russia (Siberia); SW Asia, Europe].