Perennials, 6–25(–30) cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, retaining old leaf bases. Stems erect or ascending, wiry, glabrous, usually eglandular, sometimes minutely glandular distally. Leaves basal (usually persistent) and cauline; basal blades linear-oblanceolate to linear or filiform (usually folding), 15–60(–80) × 0.5–2(–5) mm, cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire, sometimes sparsely ciliate (cilia ascending-appressed), faces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely strigose, eglandular. Heads 1–3(–9). Involucres 4–6 × 7–10 mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series (often purple-tipped), glabrous, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 10–25; corollas blue, 4–8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 2.5–4.2 mm. Cypselae 1.5–2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 10–16 bristles.
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