Subshrubs 30-60 cm. Stems single (erect to ascending), green when young, woody portions tan becoming gray, highly branched (leafy branches possibly annual, arising from basal, woody branches), gland-dotted (in deep, resin-filled pits). Leaves erect to spreading, becoming deflexed, more widely spaced and ± reduced distally; blades with midnerves plus 2 fainter collateral nerves evident, linear to narrowly elliptic, 35-60 × 1.5-3 mm, flat, apices attenuate, faces glabrous, densely gland-dotted (in deep, circular, resin-filled pits). Heads in racemiform arrays or clustered at branch tips, forming highly branched corymbiform arrays 0.5-10 cm wide. Involucres hemispheric, 4-5 × 2.5-4 mm. Phyllaries 28-34 in 4-6 series, mostly whitish tan, midnerves mostly obscure, outer ± thickened distally, convex, ovate or oblong to spatulate, 0.5-4 × 0.8-1.2 mm, unequal, chartaceous, margins broadly scarious, entire or ± fimbriate, stipitate-glandular, apices rounded-obtuse, faces glabrous. Receptacles usually with 3-5 scales 0-1 mm. Ray florets 0. Disc florets 8-14; corollas 3.5-4.2 mm, glabrous, lobes 1.2-1.7 mm; style branches exserted, 1.7-2 mm, appendages attenuate, 0.7-0.9 mm. Cypselae tan, oblong, 2-3 mm, 4-6 ribbed, faces moderately hairy; pappi whitish (fine, ± flattened, barbellate), 2-3 mm.

Flowering fall. Rocky soils, cliff faces; 300-1000 m; Ariz.

Lorandersonia salicina is sometimes treated as a variety of Hesperodoria scopulorum or as a distinct, atypical species in that genus (G. L. Nesom 1991f). Phylogenetic analyses (R. P. Roberts and L. E. Urbatsch 2004) relate this taxon to the current genus.