Perennials, 10-25(-40) cm; taprooted, caudices simple or branched, retaining old leaf bases. Stems (purplish proximally) decumbent-ascending, moderately hirsute (hairs deflexed), sometimes minutely glandular distally. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal (erect) blades (3-nerved) oblanceolate to spatulate or subelliptic, 20-80(-180) × 3-13 mm (bases attenuate), entire (apices rounded to obtuse), faces strigoso-hirsute to hirsutulous, eglandular; cauline blades linear-oblong, gradually reduced distally. Heads 1-4 (from branches at midstem or distally). Involucres 5-6(-7) × 9-11(-18) mm. Phyllaries in (2-)3-4 series, sparsely to moderately hirsute, minutely glandular. Ray florets 25-40(-52); corollas white or blue, 4-8 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 3-3.5(-4.8) mm. Cypselae 2.2-2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15-20(-24) bristles.

Flowering May-Aug(-Sep). Open rocky hills, meadows, sagebrush, mountain mahogany, pinyon-juniper, oak-maple, white fir, alpine meadows; (1500-)1800-3400 m; Idaho, Nev., Utah.