Perennials 25–60 cm (dense bushy clumps); taproots deep, vertical, woody. Stems ascending to erect, pale green, striate, often much-branched from bases and distally, glabrous. Leaves: (basal forming rosettes, sometimes withered and absent at flowering) proximal blades linear. 50–70 × 1–2 mm, entire or sparingly laciniate; cauline 40 mm or less, reduced to scales distally. Heads (1–6), borne singly. Involucres cylindric, 14–21 × 4–6 mm, apices narrow. Calyculi of 8–10, ovate bractlets 2–3 mm, margins ciliate (apices often purple, with small appendages, faces glabrous, sometimes roughened). Phyllaries 5–7, linear-oblong, 16–20 mm, margins scarious, faces glabrous, apices appendaged (often dark). Florets 5–7; corollas lavender, 12–16 mm, ligules 5–6 mm wide. Cypselae 11–14 mm, faces smooth, adaxial weakly sulcate, glabrous ; pappi 11–13 mm. 2n = 18.
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