Plants slightly ascending to erect, 0.5-2.5 × 0.5-10 dm. Involucres: margins dark pinkish to purple, scarious. 2n = 40.

Flowering Apr-Jul. Sandy places, chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands; of con-servation concern; 90-500 m; Calif.

Variety hartwegiana is locally common but restricted mainly to the Ben Lomand sand hill area of Santa Cruz County. Until 1989, the name Chorizanthe pungens var. hartwegii was misapplied to this taxon.