Biennial or perennial herbs. Stem erect, decumbent, ascending or prostrate, (10–) 20–40 (–100) cm tall, green–greyish white, stiffly appressed hairy and glandular, sometimes glabrescent, diffusely or fastigiately – virgately branched. Basal leaves withering at anthesis, lower leaves lanceolate, oblong–oblanceolate, or spathulate, sessile, narrowed towards the base, 2–5 (–7) cm long,  0.4–1 cm wide, entire, obtuse–acute, strigose–thinly pubescent on either side, distinctly glandular; upper leaves smaller, 1–2.5 cm long, 2–3 mm wide, sessile, lanceolate–linear, spreading or not, acute, somewhat appressed to the stem and peduncles. Capitula terminal, 1– 2 (–3) on each branch, 1–1.5 (–2) cm across, in corymbosely–paniculate synflorescence. Involucre hemispheric, compressed, 0.5–1.5 (–1.8) cm, finely pubescent to somewhat glandular. Phyllaries 2– or 3–seriate, outermost linear, 3 – 4 mm long, ca 1 mm wide, herbaceous, pilose–strigose stipitately glandular, scarious, acuminate, inner 5–7 (–8) mm long,  1–2 mm wide, lanceolate – linear. Ray florets 15–20, purple, mauve, blue or bluish purple or white, 10–12 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide. Disc florets yellow, 4–5 (–6) mm long, tube 1.5–2 mm long, lobes 5, unequal, hairy or glabrous, larger lobe, 0.8–1 mm long, other 4 lobes smaller, ca 0.5 mm long. Cypselas obovate – oblong, 2–3 mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide, brownish, compressed, strigose–glandular. Pappus bristles 4–6 mm long, unequal, buff or dirty white.

A highly variable species, exhibiting considerable variation in habit, plant height, branching of stem and adnation of the leaves to the stem; 4 varieties can be recognized in our area.