Perennials, 10–40 cm, colonial or cespitose; long-rhizomatous. Stems 1–5+, ascending to erect (light to dark brown), proximally glabrous, distally strigose, stipitate-glandular. Leaves (light green) firm, margins entire, scabrous; basal sometimes persistent, sessile, blades (1–3-nerved) linear-oblanceolate, 10–30 × 4–10 mm, bases attenuate, apices obtuse, mucronate, faces glabrate to sparsely scabrous; proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile, blades (3-nerved) narrowly oblanceolate, 20–80 × 2–8 mm, bases cuneate, apices obtuse to acute, mucronulate or white-spinulose, faces glabrous or moderately short-strigose, stipitate-glandular; distal sessile, blades linear-oblanceolate to-lanceolate or oblong (distally), 20–50 × 2–5 mm, ± reduced distally, bases ± clasping to cuneate, apices acute, mucronulate, faces glabrous or moderately short-strigose, stipitate-glandular. Heads 1–10(–30), borne singly or in paniculiform arrays, branches ascending. Peduncles sparsely to moderately short-strigose, moderately stipitate-glandular, bracts ± ascending, linear to narrowly-lanceolate. Involucres campanulate to cylindro-campanulate, 5.5–8 mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, linear to lanceolate, subequal to unequal, bases ± indurate, margins scarious, green zones covering distal portion, apices acute to acuminate, outer ± foliaceous, spreading to reflexed, faces glabrate, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 15–31; corollas violet, laminae (5–)6–15 × 1–2 mm. Disc florets 25–40; corollas yellow, 4.5–6 mm, lobes triangular, 0.4–0.8 mm. Cypselae light brown, sometimes translucent reddish brown between ribs, narrowly obovoid, ± compressed, 2–2.5 mm, 3–4-nerved (faint), moderately strigose on ribs; pappi tawny, 3.8–6 mm. 2n = 10.
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