Perennial, non-tuberous, grayish green, 20 – 30  cm tall, caespitose herb with branched oblique rootstock and fibrous collar. Stem erect, ribbed, densely intricatelydichotomously  branched, appressed tomentose to glabrous, c. 1.5 – 2 mm thick. Basal leaves linear to filiform,  3 – 5  x 0.1 cm, entire, obtuse, recurved. Upper leaves linear, 3 – 6  x 1mm, entire, acute, recurved. Peduncles 6 – 8  cm long, divergent. Capitulum funnel-shaped, 10 – 15  x  c. 3 mm in flowering condition, enlarged to  nearly 20 x 4mm in fruiting condition. Involucre tubular, 7 – 9 mm long. Phyllaries  biseriate, tomentose, entire, membranous, acute; outer ones ovato-lanceolate, 2 – 3  x 1 mm, entire; inner ones  5, oblong-linear, 10 x 2 mm, entire, acute. Florets yellow, 5-6 in each capitulum, more or less as long as involucres, with c. 2 mm long, apically  minutely pilose corolla tube.  Cypselas white, 5 – 8 x 1 mm, apically truncate, 10-ribbed, muricate.  Pappus uniseriate, bristles more than 40, 10 – 16  mm long, plumose from base and apically scabrous.