Plants spreading to decumbent, 0.2-0.8(-1) × 0.5-5(-7) dm, appressed-pubescent. Leaves basal; petiole 0.5-2 mm; blade oblanceolate, 0.5-1.5(-2) × 0.3-0.6(-0.8) cm, thinly pubescent. Inflorescences with involucres in small, open clusters 0.5-1.5 cm diam., greenish or grayish to reddish; bracts 2, sessile, usually leaflike, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5-1.5 cm × 1.5-5 mm, gradually reduced and becoming scalelike at distal nodes, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.4-1 cm × 1-2(-3) mm, awns straight, 1-3 mm. Involucres 3-10, grayish to reddish, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 3-3.5 mm, slightly corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, densely pubescent; teeth widely spreading to divergent, unequal, 0.3-0.6 mm or 3-6 mm; awns uncinate, unequal, with longer anterior one 1.5-2.5 mm, others spreading, 0.3-0.6 mm. Flowers included or only slightly exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube greenish white and tepals white, cylindric, 2.5-3 mm, sparsely pubescent; tepals connate 2/ 3 their length, dimorphic, linear-oblong, those of outer whorl spreading, 1.5 times longer than those of inner whorl, rounded, entire or emarginate to slightly 2-lobed apically, those of inner whorl erect, acute, entire to erose, slightly fimbriate or 2-lobed apically; stamens 3, included; filaments distinct, 2-2.5 mm, glabrous; anthers white, ovate, 0.3-0.4 mm. Achenes brown, globose-lenticular, 2.5-3 mm. 2n = 42.
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