Perennials, 3-15 cm; taprooted, caudices branched. Stems erect to slightly basally ascending, sparsely white-strigose, eglandular. Leaves mostly basal (usually persistent); blades linear, 15-50(-60) × 0.5-1 mm, cauline reduced and only on proximal ¹ / 3 of stems (bases abruptly widened, thickened, white-indurate, sheathing stems), margins entire, faces loosely strigose. Heads 1. Involucres 3.5-5 × 6-11 mm. Phyllaries in 3-4 series, sparsely and loosely strigose, eglandular. Ray florets 15-25; corollas blue to pale lavender or pinkish, 6-9 mm, laminae weakly coiling. Disc corollas 3.4-5 mm. Cypselae 1.8-2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20-30 bristles. 2n = 27.

Flowering Jun-Jul. Open rocky sites, especially in volcanic substrate, sagebrush-scrub, juniper woodland, montane coniferous; 1000-2700 m; Calif., Oreg.