Herbs, perennial, scapose, with slender taproot; stems lanate. Leaves in basal rosettes; petiole longer than blade; leaf blade oblong or ovate, 2-3 × 0.5-1 cm, 2-pinnatipartite, both surfaces gray-white, densely lanate; primary lateral lobes 3- or 4-paired, linear-oblong to obovate; ultimate lobes obtuse or slightly acute at apex. Capitula solitary, terminal, several per plant; peduncle 2-8 cm. Involucre coryliform, 1-1.7 cm in diam.; phyllaries in 3 rows, abaxially densely lanate, scarious margin broad, brown or deep brown; outer phyllaries lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, inner ones longer, oblong-linear. Florets yellow, 5-lobed. Achenes 1.5-2.2 mm, 5- or 6-ribbed, glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose at apex. Corona scales 8-12, lanceolate, brownish. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

Rocky places on mountain slopes, meadows, gravelly places, floodlands; 3300-3800(-4000) m. Xinjiang (Tian Shan) [Kazakhstan].