Plants 15–85 cm. Corms globose to depressed-globose or elongate, sometimes becoming simple or branched rhizomes. Stems glabrous. Leaves: basal and proximal cauline 1-nerved, linear, 50–140 × 1–7 mm, gradually or little reduced distally, essentially glabrous or sparsely piloso-hirsutulous, gland-dotted (margins sometimes ciliate). Heads in dense to loose, spiciform arrays. Involucres campanulate-cylindric, 7–15 × (4–)5–7 mm. Peduncles 0 or very rarely 1–2 mm. Phyllaries in 3–6 series, mostly oblong-obovate, unequal, essentially glabrous, margins without hyaline borders, sometimes ciliate, apices acute, acute-acuminate, obtuse, rounded, or rounded-truncate (often with indurate apicula or mucros, lateral veins usually not evident beyond middle or at least on distal 1/3). Florets 3–8; corolla tubes glabrous inside. Cypselae (5.5–)6–8.5 mm; pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose.
A small herb. It grows 10-45 cm high. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are alternate and narrow. They are stiff and rather thick. They are 5-15 cm long. The flowers are pink disks. The flower heads occur singly at the ends of branches. They are 1-2 cm across. The fruit is a dry achene.