Perennials, 7-25 cm; taprooted, caudices woody, branches usually vertical or horizontal (2-10 cm), sheathed by persistent leaf bases. Stems erect, sparsely to moderately hispidulous to hirsute, minutely glandular to stipitate-glandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline; basal blades sometimes 3-nerved, broadly oblanceolate to obovate or spatulate, 20-90(-120) × 5-25 mm, margins entire or denticulate, faces moderately hirsuto-villous, stipitate-glandular; cauline blades smaller, narrower, relatively even-sized distally (bases subclasping). Heads 1(-5) (on branches from proximal axils). Involucres 5-8 × 7-14 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, sparsely to moderately hirsuto-villous, stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 20-45; corollas usually blue to purplish, sometimes white or pink, 5-12 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 3-4.3 mm. Cypselae flattened, 1.8-2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 12-16 bristles.

Flowering Jun-Aug(-Sep). Cliffs, ledges, talus, and other rocky habitats, mixed conifers; 900-2500 m; B.C.; Wash.