Perennials, 2-20(-30) cm; tap­rooted, caudices branched. Stems erect to slightly decumbent-ascending, canescent-hirsute, densely stipitate-glandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline (petioles prominently ciliate, at least on proximal portions, hairs thick-based, spreading); basal blades linear-oblanceolate to spatulate, 20-80 × 2-7 mm, cauline gradually or abruptly reduced distally, sometimes bractlike (stems scapiform), margins entire, faces canescent-hirsute, densely stipitate-glandular (hairs finer). Heads (disciform) 1-4. Involucres 4-6 × 7-15 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, coarsely hirsute, densely minutely glandular. Ray (pistillate) florets 30-45; corollas usually tubular, lacking laminae, or laminae shorter than involucres. Disc corollas 2.8-4.5 mm (throats white-indurate and inflated, conspicuously puberulent). Cypselae 1.5-1.8 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose (carpopodia whitish); pappi: outer of scales or setae, inner of 7-20 bristles.

Erigeron aphanactis is distinguished from E. austiniae by its conspicuously puberulent (versus essentially glabrous) disc corollas and white (versus yellow) carpopodia; it also is similiar in habit and vestiture to E. concinnus, which has conspicuous white to pinkish rays.