Perennials, 20-70(-90) cm; taprooted, woody. Stems basally decumbent, abruptly erect, usually glabrous or glabrate, rarely sparsely strigose on proximal ¹ / 2 , or hirsutulous proximally and strigose distally, or distally densely hirsutulous (hairs usually ± deflexed, sometimes loosely antrorsely ascending; var. keilii), eglandular. Leaves cauline; blades narrowly oblong-oblanceolate to linear, 20-60 × 2-7 mm, seldom reduced distally, margins entire, faces glabrous, sparsely strigose, or hispid, eglandular. Heads (discoid) (1-)2-15 in corymbiform arrays. Involucres 4.5-6.5 × 7-12 mm. Phyllaries in 3-5 series (margins broad, stramineous, midveins orange, thin), glabrous, usually eglandular, rarely minutely glandular. Ray (pistillate) florets 0. Disc corollas 3.8-4.5 mm (throats slightly indurate, not inflated). Cypselae 2-3 mm, 2-nerved, faces glabrous; pappi: outer of setae, inner of 28-45 bristles.