Stem solitary, erect, 6-60 cm tall, 2-3 mm in diam. at base, branched only in synflorescence, proximally glabrous, distally densely blackish gray pilose, purplish red. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole often purplish red, winged, 1-13 × to 1.5 cm, tubular-sheathed; leaf blade ovate or broadly elliptic to oblong, sometimes suborbicular, 1.5-19 × 1-8 cm, subsucculent, pinnately veined, glabrous or initially sparsely white puberulent, base cuneate to rounded, usually narrowed into a petiole, margin entire or minutely to coarsely dentate, rarely lobed, apex acute to rounded. Stem leaves sessile, ovate or ovate-oblong to linear, margin entire or denticulate, base with or without sheaths. Capitula 1-5, usually solitary or in corymb-raceme, nodding; peduncles 2-10 cm, blackish gray pilose. Involucre hemispheric, 8-17 × 10-25 mm, outside densely blackish gray pilose; phyllaries 8-14, in 2 rows, 2-9 mm, apex acute and white ciliate; outer phyllaries lanceolate; inner phyllaries ovate-lanceolate. Ray florets sometimes absent, yellow or purplish red; lamina oblong, 10-17 × 2-7 mm, apex obtuse or acute; tube 3-5 mm. Tubular florets numerous, dark yellow, 6-7 mm; tube 2-3 mm. Achenes brown, cylindric, 4-5 mm. Pappus white, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct. 2n = 58.

Gravelly areas on mountains, alpine scrub, grassy slopes, alpine meadows, swamp meadows, riverbanks; 3400-5600 m. SW and W Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, India (Sikkim), Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].