Plants 30-45(-100) cm. Stems whitish, sparsely leafy, loosely tomentose. Leaves grayish green; blades 1-3-nerved, spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate, 20-30 × 2-3 mm, faces loosely hairy. Involucres 10-12 mm. Phyllaries 16-20(-30), (brownish costal nerves often evident) apices acute to obtuse, outer abaxial faces sparsely villous to tomentose, inner tomentulose. Corollas 7.5-9(-10) mm, tubes puberulent, lobes 1.3-1.6 mm, villous; style appendages longer than stigmatic portions. Cypselae distally pilose; pappi 6.5-10 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering late summer-fall. Rocky, open sites in juniper and pinyon grasslands; 1500-1700 m; of conservation concern; Calif., Nev.

Variety washoensis is known from northeastern California and northwestern Nevada.