Colonies of basal rosettes from spreading roots produce clusters of 4–16-inch tall, hairy to hairless flower stems with multiple branches. Each terminal flower head is densely packed with lavender to white ray flowers surrounding a yellow disk. The species name formosissimus means “most beautiful” in Latin. Note the stem leaves clasp the stem and get progressively smaller up the stem.

FLOWERS: July–October. Lavender to white, 75–150 petal-like ray flowers crowded in layered rows around a yellow disk 3/8–3/4-inch (10–20 mm) wide. Ray florets are 3/8–5/8 inch (8–15 mm) long, 1 mm wide. The phyllaries beneath the floral head are about equal length, greenish, slender, pointed, variously hairy.

LEAVES: Basal and alternate on stem. Basal leaves rounded to spatula-shaped, to 6-inches (150 mm) long including stem (petiole), margins entire, surfaces and edges with few hairs. Stem leaves clasp stem, blades narrow, lance-shaped to spatula-shaped, gradually reduced upward; surfaces hairless or with rough, shaggy hairs; margins lined with ciliate hairs.

HABITAT: Sandy, gravelly soils, meadows, open areas, common; ponderosa pine, spruce-fir forests.

ELEVATION: 7,800–11,000 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, MT, NM, SD, UT, WY.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Two varieties, as well as intermediates, in NM with a great difference in amount of hair on the leaves: E. formosissimus var. viscidus has few hairs on upper leaves; E. formosissimus var. formosissimus has densely hairy upper leaves.

NM COUNTIES: Statewide in mid- to high-elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Grant, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia.