Perennials, 10–30(–50) cm; taprooted, caudices multicipital, often with relatively short and thin, stemlike, lignescent branches. Stems erect, sparsely to densely strigose (hairs loosely appressed to ascending, fine), densely white-strigose at least proximally, eglandular. Leaves basal (usually persistent, not clustered as rosettes) and cauline; basal blades linear to filiform, 10–80 × 0.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, cauline gradually or little reduced distally, margins entire, faces sparsely to moderately strigose, eglandular. Heads 1–5(–10+) from distal branches, tending to be in corymbiform arrays. Involucres 4–7 × 5–-18 mm. Phyllaries in (2–)3–4 series, loosely strigose to hirsute or nearly villous, densely to sparsely minutely glandular. Ray florets (15–)20–125; corollas usually blue, sometimes white, pink, or pale lavender, 3–13 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 2.5–5.5 mm. Cypselae 1.4–1.8(–2) mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose to glabrate; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 20–30 bristles. 2n = 18.
