Perennials (sometimes flowering early and appearing annual or biennial), 8–40 cm; usually taprooted (taproots woody or lignescent, early season forms sometimes fibrous-rooted), caudices usually woody, sometimes branched. Stems (often multiple from bases; of previous year often persistent) ascending to spreading (proximally reddish in early season, sometimes proximally woody or lignescent), loosely strigose to villous (proximal hairs sometimes spreading), often sparsely glandular. Leaves basal (often withering by late flowering) and cauline; blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 20–50(–100) × 3–7(–18) mm, gradually reduced distally, margins entire or with 1–2(–3) pairs of teeth, faces loosely strigose (hairs ascending), eglandular. Heads 1(–3+, –50 in later season, branches at first from midstem or proximally, later more distal). Involucres 3–4.5 × 6–9(–12) mm. Phyllaries in 2–3 series, sparsely to moderately hirsute, minutely glandular. Ray florets 24–65(–170); corollas white, often with abaxial midstripe, often drying lilac, 4–7(–11) mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 1.7–3.1 mm (throats indurate and slightly inflated). Cypselae 1.1–1.4 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of (5–)12–17 bristles. 2n = 27, 36.
Home