Herbs, compact, tight mats, 3-6 dm wide. Aerial flowering stems tomentose to floccose. Leaf blades 1-3(-3.5) × (0.3-)0.5-1(-1.2) cm, densely whitish- to grayish-tomentose abaxially, less so to thinly tomentose and greenish adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences umbellate; bracts usually semileaflike, those of proximal node 0.5-2 × 0.3-1 cm. Involucres 4-6 × 2-5 mm. Flowers 4-7(-8) mm.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Clayey or chalk flats, slopes, and outcrops, mixed grassland communities; 800-1000 m; Kans.

Variety simplex is known only from a few scattered populations in Logan County and one site just inside Scott County.