Stem erect, often purplish red, to 150 cm tall, to 1.5 cm in diam. at base, hollow, proximally glabrous, distally shortly brown pilose and white arachnoid-puberulent. Rosette of leaves not seen. Proximal stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 24 cm, white arachnoid-puberulent; leaf blade oblong or ovate-oblong, 35-40 × 25-30 cm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, pinnately veined, lateral veins more than 27 pairs, prominent on both surfaces, base subtruncate, margin regularly dentate, apex rounded. Middle to distal stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 10 cm, without sheath; leaf blade smaller, oblong or ovate-oblong. Synflorescence racemose, to 80 cm, distally clustered, proximally lax; leaflike bracts linear, white arachnoid-puberulent, proximal ones to 5.5 cm × ca. 1 mm, smaller distally; peduncles unequal, proximally to 5 cm, with 5 capitula, distal ones with 1 capitulum. Capitula numerous, nodding; supplementary bracts linear. Involucre campanulate or turbinate, 8-10 × 5-7 mm, outside blackish gray, white arachnoid-puberulent; phyllaries 7 or 8, in 2 rows, oblong or lanceolate, apex acute or acuminate; inner phyllaries white membranous at margin. Ray florets 3-5, yellow; lamina oblanceolate, 5-9 × ca. 2 mm; tube ca. 6 mm. Tubular florets numerous, higher than involucre, 6-7 mm; tube as long as limb. Achenes brown, oblong, ca. 5 mm. Pappus pale yellow, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

● Grassy slopes; below 3600 m. S and SW Sichuan.