Foliage purplish throughout. Basal leaves: blade margins subentire to sinuate-dentate. Fruiting pedicels straight or nearly so. Fruit valves glabrous.

Flowering Feb-May. Dry rocky slopes, ridges, pine and oak woodlands; 600-2200 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Variety rigidus is known from Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.