Caespitose, rhizomatous, perennial herbs, sometimes profusely branched from the base. Stem 15–45 cm tall, brownish reddish, rarely green, ascending or erect, flexuous above, covered with sparse long hairs or appressed hairy particularly below capitulum, sometimes almost glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, greenish or reddish, almost glabrous or sometimes ciliate at the margins and veins, glabrous on either side. Basal leaves linear– lanceolate, petiolate, petiole 5–8 cm long, lamina 2–9 cm long, 0.2–0.8 cm wide, obtuse–subacute, entire, cauline leaves sessile, narrower and smaller, narrowly linear– lanceolate, 1–4.5 cm long, 0.5–3.5 mm wide, entire, acute. Capitula in corymbose racemes, 1.2–1.75 (–2) cm across. Involucre hemispheric. Phyllarlies 3–seriate, reddish, rarely green, sparsely covered with stiff hairs, linear–lanceolate, outer smaller, inner ones longer, 4–6 mm long, < 0.5 mm wide, acuminate. Ray florets pink or lilac, 5–8 mm long, corolla tube 2–3.5 mm long. Female eligulate florets present, corolla tube 2–4 mm long. Disc florets yellow, 4.5–6 mm long, corolla tube ca 2 mm long, lobes pinkish or lilac, hairy. Cypselas oblong–lanceolate, compressed, straw coloured, 2 – 3 mm long, densely strigose. Outer bristles of pappus small, inner ones 5–7 mm long, yellowish.