Biennials (sometimes persisting), 15–25+ cm. Stems decumbent to erect; internodes 5–20+ mm, strigose. Leaves basal and cauline, blades oblanceolate to lance-linear, 20–45(–60+) × 2–4(–6+) mm, not fleshy, faces ± strigose. Heads at tips of stems (usually surpassed by leaves). Involucres ± campanulate to hemispheric, 12–15(–20+) mm diam. Phyllaries 40–44 in 4–5+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, 5–9+ mm (l/w = 2.5–5), apices acute to attenuate (soft, not apiculate), abaxial faces strigose. Ray florets 25–40+; corollas white or purplish adaxially, laminae 9–18 mm, abaxially usually glabrous, sometimes glandular-puberulent. Disc florets 80–120+; corollas 3.5–5 mm. Cypselae 3.5–4 mm, faces hairy, hair tips glochidiform; pappi persistent; on ray cypselae ± 20 lanceolate to subulate scales 0.5–0.8(–2+) mm; on disc cypselae 16–24 subulate to setiform scales 5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering May–Jun. Cherts, limestone slopes; 1200 m; Okla., Tex.