Perennials, densely cespitose, dwarf, 1-12 cm; caudices woody, branched, from stout taproots. Stems 1-5+, loosely erect, densely long-stipitate-glandular. Leaves mostly basal and cauline, basal and proximal cauline tufted, often marcescent; petiolate to sessile (distal), petioles 10-32 mm, bases sheathing; blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 10-80(-120) × 15(-20) mm, progressively reduced distally, thick, firm, bases ± attenuate, margins entire or irregularly serrate, eciliate, teeth apiculate to ± spinulose, apices obtuse to acute, mucronate-indurate or callous, faces glabrous. Heads 1-5, borne singly or in ± corymbiform arrays. Peduncles stipitate-glandular [bracts not observed]. Involucres hemispheric-campanulate, 8-12 mm. Phyllaries in 4-5 series, often partly purplish (especially inner), ± keeled, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, margins narrowly scarious, erose, sometimes stipitate-glandular (particularly on green parts), green zones ¹ / 2 - ² / 3 distal portions and full width (outer) to less than ¹ /6 and along midveins (inner), apices acute to long-acuminate, squarrose (outer and mid) to appressed (inner), faces glabrous, stipitate-glandular (green parts). Ray florets 13-27; corollas white to lavender, 8-17(-20) × 1.7-2.2(-3) mm. Disc florets 29-47; corollas pale yellow, 5.5-(6-8) mm, barely ampliate, tubes 2.6-2.9 mm, slightly longer than funnelform throats 1.9-2.3 mm, lobes erect to spreading, lanceolate, 0.8-1 mm. Cypselae brown, fusiform, slightly compressed, 2.5-3.5 mm, 8-10-nerved, faces ± densely strigillose; pappi of yellowish bristles ca. 6 mm.

Herrickia kingii is known only from the Wasatch and Canyon mountains. The generic assignment of this species has been debated (e.g., A. Cronquist and D. D. Keck 1957; G. L. Nesom 1991e; Cronquist 1994). S. L. Welsh et al. (1987) underlined similarities with 'Aster' alpigenus (= Oreostemma alpigena), among others. A recent molecular phylogenetic analysis (L. Brouillet et al. 2004) showed that H. kingii belongs to the Eurybia complex, possibly as a basal member of Herrickia.