Herbs, matted, polygamo-dioecious, 0.5-1.5 × 1-4(-5) dm, mostly tomentose. Stems: caudex spreading; aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, nonflowering aerial branches, 0.5-1.5 dm, mostly tomentose. Leaves in congested basal rosettes; petiole 0.1-0.6(-1) cm, usually tomentose; blade ovate, 0.2-1 × 0.1-0.6(-0.8) cm, densely tomentose on both surfaces but adaxial surface soon glabrous and green, margins entire, plane. Inflorescences capitate, 0.5-2 cm wide, those with pistillate flowers becoming umbellate in fruit, 1.5-3 × 2-3 cm; branches tomentose to floccose; bracts 4-6 proximally, usually leaflike, 0.2-0.8 cm, absent immediately below involucre. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate, (2-)2.5-3.5(-4) × 2-3 mm, tomentose; teeth 5-7, spreading, 1-2 mm. Flowers 2.5-3.5 mm, including 0.2-0.4 mm stipelike base; perianth chalky white, glabrous; tepals monomorphic, oblong to narrowly obovate; stamens exserted, 1-2 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, 3-3.5 mm, glabrous.
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