Plants perennial, not cespitose, 2-7 dm; roots primary, fusiform, fleshy. Stems erect, pilose. Leaves sessile or petiolate; petiole to 2 cm; blade green, oblanceolate to oblong-linear, 3-10 × 0.3-1 cm, apex acute to acuminate, mucronate, pilose. Inflorescences: heads stramineous, globose to short-cylindric, 20-28 mm diam.; bractlets crested along keel. Flowers: tube densely lanate; perianth lobes stramineous, linear-lanceolate, 5.3 mm, hyaline, apex acuminate. Utricles ovoid, 2.2 mm, apex acute. Seeds 1.4 mm.

Flowering fall. Rocky banks; 1200-1500 m; N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora).