Aerial flowering stems prostrate to weakly erect, 0.4-1.5(-1.8) dm. Leaf blades densely lanate to tomentose abaxially, mostly glabrous and green adaxially. Perianths usually copiously pilose to villous abaxially with glandular hairs obscure. 2n = 40.

Flowering Jun-Sep. Sandy to gravelly, usually nonvolcanic flats, slopes, and ridges, mixed grassland, sagebrush, and mountain meadow communities, oak, montane, and subalpine conifer woodlands; 1600-3100 m; B.C.; Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.

Variety coryphaeum is by far the more common of the two varieties, being found in the mountains from southern British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon into northwestern California, eastward into central Idaho and central-western Montana.