Plants to 90 cm (roots elongate-turbinate, ± branched). Herbage usually hairy (hairs appressed to ascending, spreading on adaxial leaf faces, to 1.2 mm), rarely glabrous. Stems light green to tan. Basal leaves: petioles 0-12(-20) cm; blades (1-), 3-, or 5-nerved, usually linear or lanceolate, rarely ovate, 5-30 × 0.5-3 cm, bases attenuate, margins usually entire. Peduncles 20-50 cm. Phyllaries linear to lanceolate, 6-15 × 1-3 mm. Receptacles: paleae 9-15 mm, tips red to orange-tipped, usually straight, sharp-pointed. Ray corollas purple, rarely pink or white, laminae reflexed, 19-35 × 2-7 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy abaxially. Discs ovoid to conic, 25-35 × 20-40 mm. Disc corollas 4.5-5.5 mm, lobes greenish to pink or purple. Cypselae tan, 4-5 mm, faces finely tuberculate, glabrous; pappi to 1.2 mm (major teeth 3-4). 2n = 11.

Flowering mostly late spring. Dry, limestone or sandstone outcrops, prairies; 50-500 m; Kans., Okla., Tex.