Plants 1–6(–10) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, woolly-floccose. Leaves basal and cauline; petiole 0.1–0.5(–0.8) cm; blade linear to narrowly oblance-olate, (1–)1.5–5 × 0.1–0.3 cm, thinly to densely floccose adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially. Inflorescences strict, white to greenish, open; bracts usually 2, opposite, rarely in whorls of 3–5, short-petiolate, acerose, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, 0.3–3 cm × 1–3 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm. Involucres usually congested in small terminal clusters of 1–3 at node of dichotomies, urceolate, ventricose basally, 3-angled, 6-ribbed, 3–4 mm, not corrugate, with conspicuous, white margins extending across sinuses, tomentose to floccose or glabrate with age, greenish to brownish; teeth 6; awns uncinate, 0.7–1.5 mm. Flowers 1(–2), slightly exserted; perianth white to rose, subcylindric, (1.5–)2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent abaxially; tepals connate 2/3 their length, slightly dimorphic, entire and rounded apically, those of outer whorl obovate, those of inner whorl spatulate; stamens slightly exserted; filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oval, 0.2–0.3 mm. Achenes 2.5–3 mm. 2n = 38, 40, (42), 80, 82, 84.
