Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to southern California, east to the Great Plains.

Habitat: Dry, open places in the plains and foothills, occasionally extending into the mountains.

Flowers: July-October

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, beetles, wasps

Biennial or short-lived perennial from a tap-root, 1-5 dm. tall, branched and several-stemmed, covered with fine, gray hairs.

Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate to spatulate, up to 10 cm. long including the petiole, and 15 mm. wide, often deciduous; cauline leaves smaller, linear; all leaves toothed, the teeth tipped with small spines.

Heads fairly numerous in an open inflorescence; involucre 6-10 mm. high, often glandular, its bracts imbricate and narrow, papery, except the tip green and sharply recurved; rays 8-25, bright bluish-purple, 5-12 mm. long; pappus of capillary bristles.

Achenes 3-4 mm. long, several-nerved.