Plants 10–40 cm. Stems erect to spreading, green when young, becoming brown, branched proximally, densely floccose-tomentose, eglandular. Leaves ascending; blades linear (adaxially sulcate), 10–30 × 1–2 mm, midnerves evident, apices acute, faces mostly densely tomentose, stipitate-glandular; sometimes with axillary leaf fascicles. Heads borne singly or in cymiform arrays. Peduncles 2–20 mm (usually leafy). Involucres obconic, 9–11 × 6–9 mm. Phyllaries 20–30 in 2–3 series, green to tan, oblong to lanceolate, 5–10 × 0.8–1.5 mm, subequal, mostly chartaceous, outer herbaceous or herbaceous-tipped, midnerves usually evident, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces hairy, stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 0. Disc florets 10–22; corollas 9–11 mm. Cypselae brownish, narrowly oblong, 5–6 mm, densely hairy; pappi tan, 8–10 mm.