Taproot stout, up to 1 cm. diam., uni- or pauci-cipital. Lvs 4-10 cm. × 5-10 mm., narrow obovate-oblong to oblanceolate or almost linear in outline, tapering to petiole < lamina; glab. or nearly so; uncinately toothed to lobed or pinnatifid, lobes diminishing towards petiole. Scapes 2-10 cm. or more long, slender, glab. to sparsely hairy, especially towards capitulum. Capitula c. 1-2 cm. long, 1-2 cm. diam., campanulate. Florets ∞, yellow. Phyll. thin, with scarious to hyaline margins; outer imbricate, at first appressed, later spreading, nearly glab., ovate, up to 5 mm. long; inner tapering from broad base, glab., very thin, erect, narrowly to broadly margined, up to 12 mm. long. Receptacle shallowly convex, alveolate, c. 5 mm. diam. Achenes c. 3 mm. long, oblanceolate to oblong, compressed, strongly ribbed, muricate to smooth, with longer teeth above; narrowed abruptly before junction with beak. Beak slender, glab., c. 5-6 mm. long. Pappus-hairs c. 5 mm. long, slender, very obscurely barbellate.

2n = 16

Perennial rosette herb. Lvs all basal, linear to oblong or linear- oblanceolate, simple, usually dentate, sometimes runcinate-pinnatifid, glabrous or with sparse multicellular hairs, especially above, (3)-5-15-(30) × (0.7)-1-1.5-(4.5) cm; terminal lobe narrowly deltoid to oblong, obtuse, truncate at base; lateral lobes triangular, deflexed or recurved, entire or toothed on distal margin; petiole and proximal part of midrib hollow. Scape stout, hollow, usually sparsely cobwebby above, sometimes glabrous, (2)-5-20-(30) cm tall. Capitula 1.5-3-(4) cm diam. Involucral bracts glabrous; outer bracts lanceolate to ovate, ± attenuate, green or reddish, erect at flowering, suberect to patent at fruiting, with scarious margins; inner bracts narrowly triangular to linear, acute, green, erect, with scarious margins. Florets usually golden yellow, rarely paler. Achene body usually orange-brown to dull greenish brown, rarely cream, ribbed, clavate-fusiform, 2.5-4 mm long; ribs each with (3)-5-7 teeth on distal ⅓-⅔, the distal teeth slightly > the proximal; cone tapering or narrowly cylindric, (0.5)-1-2 mm long, concolorous with the body. Beak usually pale, sometimes dark, slender, 4.5-8 mm long. Pappus white, 4-7 mm long.