Lactuca atropurpurea Franchet, J. Bot. (Morot) 9: 294. Aug 1895, not Franchet (Jul 1895); Dubyaea panduriformis C. Shih.

Herbs 30-80(-120) cm tall, perennial, with a stout taproot. Stem stout, erect, branched from middle or higher up, with long stiff dark brown to blackish glandular hairs, leafy. Basal and lower stem leaves hairy or sometimes glabrescent, base narrowed and sometimes ± expanded and clasping, margin mucronulately sinuate-dentate; terminal lobe triangular-ovate, to 20 × 20 cm, basally cordate to sagittate then contracted into a at least distally winged petiole-like rachis to 50 cm with 0-3 pairs of small somewhat distant broadly triangular lateral lobes in apical portion, apex obtuse, acute, or rounded. Middle and upper stem leaves similar to lower stem leaves but (much) smaller; leaf blade lanceolate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, less or not divided and sinuate-dentate, proximally much less narrowed and base distinctly clasping; uppermost stem leaves ± elliptic, with a narrow base. Synflorescence corymbiform, with 3-8 capitula. Capitula nodding, with 60-70 florets; peduncle usually long, blackish pilose. Involucre broadly campanulate, 1.8-2.2 × 2-2.5 cm. Phyllaries dark green to blackish, with stiff long blackish glandular hairs along midvein except for innermost ones; outer phyllaries few, narrowly lanceolate, approaching inner in length; inner phyllaries many, broadly lanceolate, 4-6 mm wide, margin apically brownish ciliate to fringed, apex acute to acuminate. Florets dark purplish. Achene brown, 6-8 mm, with several strong ribs. Pappus dirty yellowish to pale brownish, 7-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Oct.

The basionym Lactuca atropurpurea is illegitimate as a later homonym; thus, according to Art. 58.1 of the Vienna Code, the combination Dubyaea atropurpurea is treated as a replacement name.

Following X. Zhuang (Fl. Yunnan. 13: 705. 2004), Dubyaea panduriformis, distinguished from D. atropurpurea by minor leaf features only, is considered as conspecific.

Picea forest margins, alpine meadows, thickets; 3000-4100 m. Sichuan, Yunnan [NE Myanmar].