Plants (10-)15-35 cm. Stems erect to decumbent, hirsuto-pilose and/or puberulent, hairs (0.2-)0.5-1.2 mm. Leaves not strongly thickened or felty gray-hairy. Ray florets 1-9-40. Pappi of acute or awn-tipped or setiform scales 0.4-2 mm. 2n = 6.

Flowering Mar-Jun(-Aug). Sandy or gravelly soils, often in matorral and scrublands; 0-50 m; Tex.; Mexico (Tamaulipas).

Apparent intergrades between var. kidderi and var. skirrhobasis are relatively common. There is a greater tendency in Aphanostephus skirrhobasis for leaves to be lobed or pinnatifid over the whole stem than in the other species.