Biennials or short-lived perennials. Stems, branches, and peduncles sometimes puberulent or canescent, stipitate-glandular. Leaf blades lanceolate to oblanceolate (linear to linear-oblanceolate in var. mucronata), mid 20-80 × (2-)5-15 mm, margins entire to irregularly dentate or serrate, faces glabrous or puberulent, often sparsely stipitate-glandular; distal bases usually cordate to auriculate, clasping. Involucres broadly turbinate to hemispheric. Phyllaries in 5-10 series, spreading to reflexed, apices long-acuminate, 2-6 mm, herbaceous (acute to acuminate, 1-3 mm in var. commixta), faces stipitate-glandular. Receptacles 4-9 mm diam. Ray florets pistillate, fertile; laminae blue to purple, 10-25 × 1-2 mm. Disc corollas 5-7(-8) mm. Cypselae sparsely appressed-hairy.

Annuals, biennials, or short-lived perennials. Stems usually 1, stiffly erect, canescent, sometimes sparsely stipitate-glandular; branches widely divaricate, straight, stiff. Mid leaf blades linear-lanceolate to linear. Peduncles equaling or longer than involucres. Involucres broadly turbinate, 6-10(-12) mm. Phyllaries in 5-10 series, usually reflexed, apices usually canescent, stipitate-glandular. Ray florets pistillate, fertile. Cypselae sparsely to moderately appressed-hairy. Flowering Jun-Oct. Grasslands, sagebrush scrublands, usually in sandy or alluvial soils along streams; 300-1500 m; B.C.; Idaho, Oreg., Wash.