Plants cespitose, 0.6-1.8(-2) × 1-2.5 dm. Aerial flowering stems erect or nearly so, scapelike, 0.5-1.5 dm, densely floccose to tomentose. Leaves: blade linear to linear-oblance-olate, 0.2-4.5(-5) × (0.2-)0.3-0.6(-0.7) cm, tomentose abaxially, thinly floccose and bright green adax-ially, margins plane or slightly thickened. Inflorescences capitate, 1-2 cm; branches absent. Involucres 3-7 per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 2-3.5(-4) × 2-3(-3.5) mm, floccose to tomentose. Flowers 2.5-3.5(-4) mm; perianth yellow, glabrous. Flowering Jul-Sep. Gravelly to rocky, mostly limestone soil, high-elevation sagebrush communities, subalpine conifer woodlands; 2700-3700 m; Utah. Variety caelitum is restricted to the limestone Flagstaff Formation on the high mesa tops of the Wasatch Mountains in Sanpete and northern Sevier counties.