Plants (10-)18-53(-83) cm. Leaves: basal obovate to spatulate, margins crenate to sharply serrate, acute or somewhat obtuse; cauline (3-)9-26(-35), proximal (42-)62-113(-159) × (5-)10-22(-31) mm, margins crenate to serrate; mid to distal 11.5-39.5(-76) × (1.3-)2-8.4(-14.5) mm. Heads in wandlike racemiform or wandlike to sometimes open paniculiform arrays. Peduncles: bracteoles (0-)1-4(-6). Phyllaries: mid less than 0.9 mm wide 1 mm below apices. Cypselae sparsely to moderately strigose. 2n = 36.

Flowering late summer. Dry serpentine soils, granitic rocky barren uplands of mountains below alpine slopes; of conservation concern; 200-800+ m; Que.; Maine, Mass., N.H., N.Y., Vt.

Variety monticola is found as rare disjunct populations throughout its range.