Perennials, 5–25 cm; taprooted, caudexlike branches relatively thick, woody. Stems ascending (without axillary tufts of leaves), glabrous, eglandular. Leaves cauline (all commonly withering early in season); proximal blades oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 20–50(–100) × 0.5–1(–15) mm, abruptly reduced distally, becoming linear to filiform, mid and distal shorter than internodes, margins entire, usually eciliate, sometimes sparsely ciliate, faces sparsely and minutely strigose or glabrous, eglandular. Heads 1(–3). Involucres 4–5(–6) × 7–12 mm. Phyllaries in (3–)4–5 series (inner with (1–)3 orange veins, margins of inner narrow, scarious), usually glabrous, outer sometimes sparsely strigulose, minutely glandular. Ray florets 12–27(–45); corollas white to lavender or blue, 6–9 mm, laminae slightly coiling at tips. Disc corollas 3–4 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated). Cypselae ca. 2 mm, 2–4(–5)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 17–25 bristles. 2n = 18.
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