Perennials, (3-)5-23 cm; taprooted, caudex branches lignescent, apparently elongate. Stems erect, sparsely strigillose to glabrate, eglandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent); blades oblanceolate to spatulate (not folding), 20-70(-120) × 3-13 mm, cauline abruptly reduced distally (bases not clasping), margins entire, sparsely ciliate (apices rounded to acute), faces glabrate or glabrous, eglandular. Heads 1. Involucres 5-8 × 8-17 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series (purplish at least at tips), glabrous or sparsely strigillose, densely minutely glandular. Ray florets 20-35; corollas white, drying white or sometimes lilac-tinged, 7-13 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 3.9-5.3 mm. Cypselae 2.5-3 mm, 2(-3)-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or scales, inner of 13-23 (white-shiny) bristles. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Moist cliff faces and crevices, mostly limestone, soil among boulders; of conservation concern; 2700-3800 m; Utah.