E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from a slender taproot and a simple or branched base; stems leafless, solitary to few, exuding milky juice when broken, 6-50 cm tall.

Leaves:
Mainly basal, oblanceolate, entire to distantly toothed,the margin often long-hairy, 1-15 cm long, 0.1-1.5 cm wide.

Flowers:
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, solitary; involucres bell-shaped, 11-19 mm tall; involucral bracts in 3-4 series, lanceolate, abruptly sharp-pointed, light green with a dark purple median strip and purple mottling, the outer series densely long-hairy basally; receptacle papery; ray flowers pink drying to deep pink.

Fruits:
Achenes 10-ribbed, the body 6-8 mm long. gradually tapering to a slender beak which is shorter than the body; pappus double, of numerous hairlike bristles, 6-12 mm long, white.