Herbs 20-35 cm tall, perennial. Caudex stout. Stem single, erect, simple or branched from middle third or higher, glabrous or tomentulose/floccose at nodes and below capitula. Basal and lower cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong, 10-30 × 0.5-2 cm, margin white, ± undulate and membranous. Capitula solitary to few; peduncle not inflated. Involucre 2.5-4 cm. Phyllaries 8, lanceolate, shorter than or equaling florets and achenes with pappus. Ligules purple to mauve. Outer achenes 2-2.5 cm; body whitish, straight to ± curved, 2-2.5 mm in diam., tuberculate, with 5 fairly well-differentiated ribs, abruptly contracted into beak; beak 5-10 mm, stout, apically ± inflated; pappus disk ± tomentulose. Pappus slightly fulvous, often with tinge of red, 2-2.5 cm. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jun. 2n = 12.