Herbs, perennial, ca. 70 cm tall; rhizomes procumbent, with long fibrous roots. Stems erect, slender, branched at middle, finely canaliculate, scabrous, densely leafy. Leaves abaxially pale green, adaxially brownish (when dry), both surfaces sparsely scabrous, 3-veined, midvein abaxially prominent, lateral veins parallel with margin; basal leaves few, rosulate, long petiolate; blade ovate-lanceolate, ca. 4.5 × 2.5 cm, base attenuate, margin sparsely shallowly toothed or subentire, apex acute; lower and middle leaves oblong-lanceolate, 4-10 × 1.5-2 cm, base gradually attenuate, margin 4- or 5-serrate or subentire, apex acuminate; upper leaves narrowed. Capitula in racemose-corymbiform synflorescences, ca. 2 cm in diam.; peduncles 2-3 cm; bracts linear-lanceolate, leaflike. Involucres hemispheric, ca. 8 mm in diam.; phyllaries 3-seriate, subequal, brown, oblong-lanceolate, abaxially puberulent, membranous, midvein herbaceous, apex acute or slightly acute. Ray florets ca. 10 or more, white, tube ca. 1.3 mm, lamina ca. 10 × 1.2 mm; disk florets yellow, 3-3.5 mm, tube ca. 1 mm, lobes ca. 0.5 mm. Achenes (immature) oblong, ca. 2 mm, strigillose. Pappus (immature) white, of 10-20 unequal bristles 1-1.5 mm. Fl. Jun.

Aster menelii is probably closely related to A. hunanensis. The structure of the phyllaries and pappus is similar, but the leaf shape is different.

● C Guizhou (Anshun).