Perennials, 2-20 cm; slenderly taprooted, caudices usually branched. Stems usually decumbent-ascending, moderately to densely hirsutulous to hirtellous (hairs usually deflexed), eglandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades 1-nerved or weakly 3-nerved, spatulate, rhombic-elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate (often folding), 20-50(-80) × 3-10(-13) mm, cauline gradually or abruptly reduced and linear distally (bases abruptly contracted to petioles), margins entire, faces moderately to densely hirsutulous, eglandular. Heads 1(-2). Involucres 5-9 × 7-14 mm. Phyllaries in 3-4 series (tips and margins often purple), sparsely to moderately hirsutulous, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 10-25; corollas deep blue or violet to rose-purple, 5-10 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 4.2-6.3 mm. Cypselae 2.5-3.1 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20-30 bristles.

Flowering Jul-Aug. Rocky or gravelly slopes and ridges, talus, sagebrush or meadow edges, limber pine, whitebark pine, fir-pine; (2100-)2500-3300 m; Idaho, Mont., Nev., Utah.

Erigeron asperugineus sometimes is very similar in aspect to E. clokeyi var. pinzliae; the latter differs in its narrower leaves, coarsely ciliate petioles, broader and non-reflexing rays, and shorter cypselae.