Perennials, 3-7 cm; taprooted, caudex branches relatively short and thick. Stems erect, glabrous or sparsely strigose, eglandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent); blades broadly oblanceolate to subspatulate, mostly 20-50(-60) × 2-6 mm, cauline gradually or abruptly reduced distally, margins entire, sometimes sparsely ciliate, faces glabrous or glabrate, eglandular. Heads 1. Involucres 4-5 × 8-10 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, glabrous, eglandular. Ray florets 25-35; corollas purplish to lavender, drying bluish, 6-9 mm, laminae spreading, not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 2.9-3.6 mm. Cypselae (mature length not observed) 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 10-16 bristles.

Flowering Jul-Aug. Rocky open meadows in subalpine conifer forests, high ridges and peaks; of conservation concern; 3000-3500 m; N.Mex.