Plants perennial, not cespitose, 1-4 dm; roots primary, fusiform, fleshy. Stems erect or ascending, pilose. Leaves sessile; blade green, obovate to oblong or spatulate, 1.5-4 × 0.6-1.5 cm, apex round-ed, pilose-sericeous abaxially. Inflorescences: heads white or pinkish, subglobose to short-cylindric, 10-12 mm diam.; bractlets crested along keels. Flowers: tube densely lanate; perianth lobes stramineous, lanceolate, 4.5-4.7 mm, indurate, apex spinose-tipped. Utricles ovoid, 2 mm, apex acute. Seeds subglobose to ovoid, 1.5-1.6 mm.