Herbs, cespitose or pulvinate, occasionally scapose, 0.1-0.5 × 1-3 dm, tomentose. Stems spreading, with persistent leaf bases, up to 1/ 5 height of plant; caudex stems matted; aerial flowering stems scapelike, spreading to erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.1-0.2 dm, tomentose.  Leaves basal, 1 per node; petiole 0.2-0.5 cm, tomentose; blade elliptic, 0.2-0.4 × 0.1-0.2 cm, tomentose, margins plane. Inflorescences cymose-umbellate or capitate, (0.4-)0.8-1.5 × 0.5-1.5 cm; branches umbellate, tomentose; bracts 3, scalelike, triangular to linear-lanceolate, 1-5 mm. Peduncles spreading, 0.1-0.3(-0.5) cm, tomentose. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate, 1.5-2 × 1-1.5 mm, tomentose; teeth 5, erect, 0.4-0.7 mm. Flowers 3.5-5 mm; perianth yellowish, with reddish spot, glabrous; tepals connate proximally, dimorphic, those of outer whorl orbiculate and globose, 3-4 × 3-4 mm, those of inner whorl oblanceolate, 3.5-5 × 1-1.5 mm; stamens exserted, 3-4 mm; filaments pubescent proximally. Achenes brown, 2.5-3 mm, glabrous.

Flowering May-Sep. Limestone gravelly to rocky slopes and ridges, sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands; 1500-2000 m; Calif.

Eriogonum gilmanii is a rare, localized species. It is known from the Cottonwood, Last Chance, and Panamint mountains of Inyo County.