Perennials, 3-15 cm; taprooted, caudices simple or with relatively short and thick branches. Stems erect, sometimes branched, hirsute (hairs unequal), ± minutely glandular. Leaves mostly basal (persistent; petioles prominently ciliate, hairs spreading, thick-based); blades narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate, (20-)30-80 × 2-4(-12) mm, cauline sometimes continuing distally to about midstem, margins entire, usually ciliate, sometimes coarsely so, faces sparsely to densely hirsute, sometimes minutely glandular. Heads 1(-3) (from branches at or proximal to midstem). Involucres 5-9 × 9-20 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, sparsely to densely hirsuto-villous to hirsute, minutely glandular. Ray florets 15-45 or 0; corollas usually pink to bluish purple, sometimes white, 5-14 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas (3.5-)4-5.5 mm. Cypselae 2.5-3 mm, 2-nerved, faces densely strigoso-sericeous (obscured); pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20-30 bristles.