Small, annual herb, stem usually glabrous-sparsely setulose, simple or branched at the base, 8 – 25 (-35) cm high. Radical leaves almost rosulate, indistinctly petiolate – tapering at the base, 4 – 6 x 0.5 - 1 cm, glabrous or sparsely setulose, ellipsoid-lanceolate in outline, sinnuate pinnatisect-pinnately lobed sparingly toothed, acute; cauline leaves 3 – 4 x 0.2 – 0.5 cm, sessile, lanceolate, sub entire-often undivided, auriculate. Synflorescence laxly corymbose. Capitula mostly single, 12-18 florets per capitulum, cylindrical to infundibuliform, erect, 1 – 2.5 x 0.3 – 0.5 cm, bracteolate. Involucre phyllaries glabrous, 5-6-seriate, scarious, innermost 3 times longer than the outer; outer most 4 – 6 x 1 – 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, middle one 7 – 12 x 2 – 2.5 mm, lanceolate; inner phyllaries 18 – 26 x c. 1 mm, linear, subacute-obtuse. Florets blue. Cypselas 3 – 5 x c. 1.2 mm, yellowish-brown, papillate, oblanceolate-obovate, compressed, 1-prominent rib in the middle, beak capillary with two transparent appendages at the base, 8 – 13 mm long, 3 times longer than the body. Pappus uniseriate, 4 – 5 mm long, lemon yellow.