Perennials, 6-20 cm; apparently taprooted (often not evident or not collected), rhizomes relatively slender, woody fibrous-rooted or rhizomelike caudex branches. Stems prostrate to decumbent-trailing, less commonly ascending-erect (without axillary leaf tufts), sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular. Leaves cauline; blades narrowly lanceolate to oblong, 5-20 × 1-2 mm, relatively even-sized, margins entire, faces strigose, eglandular. Heads 1 or 2-3. Involucres 3.5-5 × 7-10 mm. Phyllaries in 3-5 series (often purple-tipped; margins of inner narrowly scarious), glabrous, minutely glandular. Ray florets 12-21; corollas white, drying bluish, 5-6 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 3.5-4 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated). Cypselae 1.6-2.5 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 18-26 bristles.

Flowering Jun-Sep. Ledges, crevices, cracks, talus; 1300-3300 m; Calif.