Perennials 40-90 cm (caudices woody). Stems erect, woolly or cottony. Leaves: mid and distal blades lanceolate to elliptic, 2.5-6 cm × 7-20 mm, abaxial faces glabrous or glabrate, adaxial ± densely woolly to cottony. Heads 3-40 in racemiform to paniculiform arrays. Peduncles pubescent. Involucres turbinate, 7-10 mm. Phyllaries in 4-6 series (often reddish at margins and apices), linear-oblong to ovate (strongly unequal), apices acute, abaxial faces tomentose to stipitate-glandular. Rays (0-)1-3(-6), violet-purple. Cypselae glabrous or pilose; pappus bristles in 2 series, ± barbellate.

Flowering Jul-Aug. Open oak or coniferous woods, forest openings and rocky cliffs; 1300-2400 m; Calif., Oreg.

Eucephalus tomentellus grows in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon and northern California. It may intergrade with E. breweri and E. glabratus.