Biennials or short-lived perennials, 10-14 cm; taprooted, without well-developed caudices. Stems ascending, hirsute, minutely glandular. Leaves basal (persistent) and cauline (petioles prominently ciliate, at least on proximal portions, hairs spreading, thick-based); basal blades oblong-spatulate to obovate-spatulate, 30-50 × 4-6 mm, cauline abruptly reduced distally, margins entire, faces hirsuto-villous, minutely glandular. Heads (disciform) 1-3 (usually from branches proximal to midstems). Involucres ca. 5 × 13-14 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, coarsely hirsute, minutely glandular. Ray (pistillate) florets ca. 50-100; corollas usually tubular, lacking laminae, or laminae shorter than involucres. Disc corollas 4-5.1 mm (throats white-indurate, somewhat inflated, glabrate). Cypselae 1.5-1.6 mm (immature), 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose (carpopodia whitish); pappi: outer of setae, inner of 15-20 bristles.

Flowering Apr-May. Sagebrush and desert shrub; of conservation concern; ca. 1200 m; Calif.

Erigeron calvus is known only from the type collection.