Stock stout, multicipital; lvs rosulate on short stems, spreading, narrowly obovate-spathulate, subacute, 1∙5-2∙5 cm. × 2-5 mm., subcoriac., gradually narrowed to flat petiole. Capitula c. 5, corymbosely crowded; peduncles elongating in fr. to ± 2-5 cm., rather stout, grooved, with lfy bracts up to and subtending corymb. Phyll. c. 10, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to ovate or oblong-ovate, c. 3·5 mm. long, almost cartilaginous, with a pair of prominent veins close to midrib. Florets 5-12, corolla of disk-florets quadrangular, of ♀ tubular from globose base. Achenes glab., 2-4 mm. long; of ♀ obovoid with 3 thickened ribs, of disk-florets tetragonous, sts abortive.

2n = 18

Caespitose plants, often creeping, up to 5 (-10) cm tall Leaves spreading to erectopatent, oblanceolate, with a conspicuous mid-rib, keeled, 10-20 × 1.5--3.5 mm; apex obtuse; margins glabrous or sparingly hairy. Capitula 2-8, corymbosely arranged, on a branched, sparsely pubescent, few-leaved stem, pedunculate; peduncle elongated in fruit; bracts dimorphic, 2-3 (-4), the lower leaf-like, the upper phyllary-like. Phyllaries 8-11, oblong, obtuse-acute, with 3 translucent ducts, ± 3 mm long. Outer florets 8-12, tubular or narrowly cyathiform, 3--4-lobed, purple or rarely with a white tube and purple lobes, 1 mm long; vascular tissue absent. Central florets 3-5, functionally male, purple, 1.5 mm long; vascular tissue central; anthers ± 0.8 mm long. Cypsela obovoid, often lightly flattened, distinctly ribbed, minutely papillose, 1.5-2.0 mm long; apex smooth, obtuse.