Plants 30-120 cm.
Corms depressed-globose or globose to napiform.
Stems puberulent to hirsute-puberulent.
Leaves: (basal on relatively distant internodes usually withering before flowering) proximal cauline 1-nerved, narrowly oblanceolate, 60-200(-300) × 3-8 mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally (becoming slightly to strongly deflexed), essentially glabrous or sparsely puberulent, gland-dotted.
Heads in dense, spiciform arrays.
Peduncles usually 0, sometimes 1-5(-10) mm.
Involucres turbinate-cylindric, 12-20 × 4-6 mm.
Phyllaries in 3-4 series, narrowly lanceolate-triangular, unequal, strigose to strigoso-hispid, margins with hyaline borders, apices (at least inner) prolonged, spreading, ± dilated, petaloid (pink, purplish, white, or yellow).
Florets 4-5; corolla tubes glabrous inside.
Cypselae 3.5-5(-6) mm;
pappi: lengths ± equaling corollas, bristles plumose. Variety
elegans extends across the geographic range of the species; the other three varieties form local enclaves essentially imbedded within var.
elegans and sporadically intergrading with it at points of contact (see further comments under 10d. var.
kralii).