Shrubs, rounded, usually sparsely branched, 10-20 × 10-25 dm. Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, 1.5-3(-4) × 0.5-0.8 cm, tomentose to floccose abaxially (in early anthesis), occasionally glabrous with age. Inflorescences 10-30 × 10-35 cm; branches rather diffuse, with racemosely arranged involucres at tips, slender, round, smooth, glabrous, not spinose. Involucres campanulate, 2.5-3 × 2.5-3.5 mm. Flowers 3-4 mm; perianth white to pink.

Flowering Jul-Oct. Clay or shale slopes, mixed grassland communities, oak and conifer woodlands; (100-)400-1000 m; Calif.

Variety occidentale is basically restricted to scattered populations in San Benito County, although it is also found just inside Monterey County near Lonoak. A collection reported to be from King City (Rose 678, CAS) is suspect as to location.