Perennials, 3-8 dm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, caudices relatively thick. Stems erect, loosely strigose to glabrate, sometimes hirsuto-villous proximally, eglandular. Leaves basal (usually persistent) and cauline; basal and proximal cauline blades often prominently 3-nerved, oblanceolate-spatulate to elliptic-spatulate, 80-200 × 15-35 mm, margins usually coarsely dentate (teeth 1-5 pairs), sometimes entire, faces weakly strigose to hirsute, eglandular; cauline blades becoming lanceolate to linear, sometimes ovate, gradually reduced distally (bases weakly subclasping or not clasping). Heads 1-4(-7) (from branches distal to midstem). Involucres 6-10 × (10-)12-16(-20) mm. Phyllaries in 3(-4) series, glabrous or moderately villous to white-hirsuto-villous (sometimes only at peduncle-involucre region), densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 45-80; corollas white to pinkish purple, 10-15 mm, laminae coiling at tips. Disc corollas 2.5-4 mm. Cypselae 2-2.8 mm, 2(-4)-nerved, faces moderately to densely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 18-32 bristles.

Flowering Jun-Aug(-Sep). Rocky ridges and slopes, talus, wet meadows, open roadsides, fir, hemlock-fir, chaparral, sometimes on serpentine; 1100-2200 m; Calif., Oreg., Wash.