Foliage greenish or purplish throughout. Basal leaves: blade margins subentire to pinnatifid. Fruiting pedicels smoothly recurved to nearly straight. Fruit valves pubescent, trichomes clavate, 0.05-0.1 mm.

Flowering Mar-May. Dry rocky slopes, sandy washes; 600-1900 m; Calif.

Variety hitchcockii is known from Inyo, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.