Rhizomatous, perennial herb. Stem 20–50 cm tall, erect, striate, reddish, strigillose. Basal leaves withering at anthesis. Leaves sessile, 2–3(–3.5) cm long, 0.8–1 cm wide, oblanceolate–lanceolate, glabrous – appressed hairy on both sides, sparsely stipitately glandular, mostly beneath, entire or coarsely serrate, 3–4 toothed on either side, ciliate at the margins, midvein dorsally  distinct, cuneate, acute–mucronate,  middle and upper leaves similar, smaller in size, 3.5 (–5) cm long, 0.6–1.0 (–1.5) cm wide, oblanceolate, acute, uppermost 1–2.5 cm long, 0.3–0.6 cm wide. Capitula  1.2–1.6 cm across, 4–10–(–20), in corymbiform synflorescence, rarely solitary, bracteate, bracts 1.2–1.5 cm long,  0.2–0.5 cm wide, oblanceolate, entire, acute, uppermost bracts closely subtending capitula; peduncles 2.5–6 cm long, appressed hairy.  Involucre campanulate. Phyllaries 2–3–seriate, somewhat imbricate, pubescent or glandular, foliaceous, hardened at the base, erose, ciliate, outer phyllaries 3.5–4 (–4.5) mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, obovate – broadly lanceolate,  midvein distinct, strigillose, leafy, scarious at the margins, acute with broader tips, apically green or purplish; middle ones 5–6 mm long, 1.3–2 mm wide, oblong, leaf–like in upper part or only at tip, obtuse–mucronate, broadly scarious at margins; inner phyllaries 7–8 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, linear–oblong, scarious, acute with purplish or darkened tip. Ray florets 20–30, blue, mauve or pink, ligules 10–12 mm long,  1.2 – 2.2 mm wide, sparsely hairy. Disc florets yellow, 4–5 mm long, campanulate, corolla tube 1–2.5 mm long, limb hairy or sparsely glandular, 2.5–3 mm long including 1–1.5 mm long erect, eglandular, triangular lobes. Cypselas  3–3.5 mm long, ca 1.5 mm wide, obovoid, brown, finely and sparsely white stigillose, 2–ribbed. Pappus biseriate, outer bristles 0.5–1.0 mm long, white, inner ones 3.5–4 (–5) mm long, white.