Herbaceous perennials to 32 inches tall, stems simple or branching, relatively few, arising from a stout, woody base with rhizomatous and fibrous roots.
Large leaved with showy flower heads; stems and leaves glandular and hairy, stems leafy to the flower heads; upper leaves barely reduced; flower head discs up to 1/2 inch wide, ray flowers conspicuous, flower heads usually several, short stemmed.
Habitat
Found on rich soils in coniferous forests, open woods, oak-pine, ponderosa pine, and pine-fir communities.
Flower Characteristics
1 to 15 flower heads per stem, borne in rounded clusters; each head contains 75 to 150 blue to light purple ray florets, surrounding numerous yellow disc florets; phyllaries (bracts) in 2 to 4 overlapping rows, densely stalked glands.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems erect, sometimes with soft hairs; narrow, hairy, basal leaf blades with densely stalked glands, 3 inches long, 1 inch wide; leaf margins smooth; leaves usually withering by flowering; partially clasping, spreading leaves barely reduced up the stems.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is a 2-nerved cypsela (dry single-seeded fruit) with stiff hairs. Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene. Modified sepals (pappus) in 2 series, the outer of conspicuous scales, the inner of 14 to 24 bristles.