Perennials, 20-60 cm; rhizomatous, fibrous-rooted, rhizomes woody, relatively thick. Stems erect, sparsely to moderately villous, minutely glandular. Leaves mostly cauline (basal not persistent); proximal blades 1-nerved obovate, becoming ovate to ovate-lanceolate distally, (20-)30-90 × 5-25 mm, nearly equal-sized and evenly distributed distally (bases clasping), margins entire (apices acute), faces sparsely to moderately hirsuto-villous. Heads 1(-6). Involucres 7-12 × 13-20 mm. Phyllaries in 2-4 series (linear, apices commonly spreading-reflexing), densely villoso-lanate (hair cross walls reddish to purple), minutely glandular. Ray florets 75-150; corollas pink to rose-purple, 10-20 mm, laminae coiling. Disc corollas 4-5.5 mm. Cypselae 2-2.2 mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer of setae or setiform scales, inner of 15-20 bristles. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jul-Sep. Mountain brush, alpine and subalpine meadows, openings in spruce-fir; 2400-3800 m; Colo., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo.