Shrubs, 20-80 cm. Stems scabrous to hispid, some hairs yellow gland-tipped. Leaves subsessile or subpetiolate; blades elliptic to obovate or obovate-cuneate, 10-35 × 5-25 mm, coriaceous, bases not clasping, margins usually coarsely spinulose-dentate (with 1-4 pairs of teeth), rarely entire, apices acute, faces pilose to scabrous, some hairs yellow gland-tipped. Heads borne singly or 2-3 in cymiform arrays. Involucres cylindric to turbinate, 6-7 × 4-5 mm. Phyllaries recurved (or inner erect), lanceolate, apices acute, faces hispidulous, glandular. Ray florets 5-8, fertile; corollas shorter than involucres, inconspicuous. Disc florets 8-12; corollas 6-8 mm. Cypselae 2-3 mm, sparsely sericeous. 2n = 12.

Flowering Jun-Oct. Limestone outcrops and cliffs; 700-2100 m; Calif., Nev.