Perennials, 2-15(-20) cm; taprooted, caudex branches commonly relatively slender, lignescent. Stems erect, sparsely strigillose (hairs white, stiff), sometimes minutely glandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent); (gray-green) blades 1-nerved spatulate, rhombic-elliptic to narrowly elliptic-ovate, (10-)15-80 × 2-7 mm, margins entire (apices sharply acute), faces moderately to densely strigillose (hairs white, stiff), eglandular. Heads 1(-3). Involucres 3-5 × 6-12 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, sparsely to moderately hirsute, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets (15-)20-40; corollas blue to purple, 4-8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 2.5-4.1 mm. Cypselae 1.6-2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15-25(-30) bristles. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jun-Sep. Rocky or gravelly habitats, often in talus, cliff ledges, crevices, or along ridgetops, in Atriplex, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, yellow pine, bristlecone pine, limber pine, or spruce; 1700-3200(-3400) m; Ariz., Calif., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wyo.