Perennials, 6-25(-30) cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively thick, retaining old leaf bases. Stems erect or ascending, wiry, glabrous, usually eglandular, sometimes minutely glandular distally. Leaves basal (usually persistent) and cauline; basal blades linear-oblanceolate to linear or filiform (usually folding), 15-60(-80) × 0.5-2(-5) mm, cauline gradually reduced distally, margins entire, sometimes sparsely ciliate (cilia ascending-appressed), faces abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely strigose, eglandular. Heads 1-3(-9). Involucres 4-6 × 7-10 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series (often purple-tipped), glabrous, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 10-25; corollas blue, 4-8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 2.5-4.2 mm. Cypselae 1.5-2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 10-16 bristles.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Crevices in limestone and quartzite outcrops and cliffs, rarely in beach sand, oak-maple, mountain brush-white fir; (1300-)1600-2900(-3600) m; Utah.