Herbs, perennial, 45-55 cm tall. Stems erect, branched above, subglabrous. Middle stem leaves linear-elliptic, ca. 3 × 0.8 cm, abaxially pubescent, especially along veins, gland-dotted, adaxially subglabrous, base cuneate, margin subentire, apex obtuse; upper leaves progressively smaller, linear. Synflorescences terminal, flat-topped, panicles to ca. 10 cm wide. Capitula ca. 10 mm in diam. Involucre campanulate, 5-6 mm; phyllaries 5-seriate, outer linear, ca. 2 mm, brownish pubescent and glandular, apex acuminate, median linear-lanceolate, awn-tipped. Florets to 20; corolla violet, 6-7 mm. Achenes densely shortly hispid. Pappus 2-seriate, brownish white; outer setae ca. 0.1 mm; inner setae 4-5 mm, scabrid.