Herbs 4-10 cm tall, perennial, stemless or shortly stemmed. Caudex 0.5-1.5 cm in diam., unbranched. Rosette leaves petiolate; petiole long, winged; leaf blade elliptic, narrowly elliptic, narrowly ovate, or spatulate, 2.5-10 × 1-2.5 cm, both surfaces green and glabrous, base attenuate, margin entire, obtusely dentate, or ± pinnately lobed, apex obtuse to acute. Upper stem leaves similar to basal leaves, subtending and overtopping capitulum. Capitulum solitary, in center of leaf rosette or terminal on stem. Involucre 1.5-2.5 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 3 or 4 rows, apex obtuse to acute; outer phyllaries ovate, 10-13 × 3-6 mm; middle phyllaries ovate to narrowly ovate, 14-15 × 3-5 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate, 1.6-2 × 0.2-0.3 cm. Corolla purplish red, 2-2.5 cm, tube 1-1.7 cm, limb 7-8 mm, lobes 4-5 mm. Style divergent, 1.5-2 mm. Achene black, trigonous, 3.5-4 mm. Pappus bristles in several rows, yellowish brown, scabrid to barbellate, 1.2-2.3 cm, apically shortly plumose. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
