Erect perennial herb, with short rhizomes and well developed tubers. Stems hispid, not or sparingly branched, up to c. 3 m tall, dying back to tubers in winter. Lower and mid cauline lvs hispidulous, petiolate, narrow-ovate to deltoid or rhomboid, acuminate, obtuse at base, irregularly serrate, (8)-20-25 cm long, often with short shoots and reduced lvs in axils; upper cauline lvs similar to lower but alternate and uppermost shortly petiolate, smaller and narrower. Capitula 5-8 cm diam., in loose corymbs of 2-6. Involucral bracts in 2-3 rows, sparsely hairy and ciliate, narrow-lanceolate, acute, 8-15 × 2-4 mm. Receptacle convex; scales membranous, the larger with darker ciliate apices. Ray florets 10-15; disc florets numerous, yellow or tinged brown. Achenes narrow-obovoid, hairy toward apex, 4-6 mm long; pappus of 2-5 laciniate scales.