Plants 30-60 cm. Stems proximally usually glabrous, sometimes piloso-hirsute (hairs 1-5+ mm) and stellate-pubescent, distally glabrous or stellate-pubescent. Leaves: basal 0-7(-12+), cauline (1-)3-8+; blades oblanceolate or spatulate to lance-linear, 60-120(-200) × 8-15(-45+) mm, lengths 5-10(-15+) times widths, bases cuneate, margins of some or all sinuately toothed, apices acute, faces piloso-hirsute (hairs 1-5+ mm) and stellate-pubescent. Heads 12-25(-40+) in paniculiform arrays. Peduncles usually stellate-pubescent, sometimes stipitate-glandular as well. Calyculi: bractlets 8-12+. Involucres ± campanulate to obconic, 7-9+ (× 5-6) mm. Phyllaries 13-21+, apices acute, abaxial faces usually stellate-pubescent and stipitate-glandular, sometimes piloso-hirsute as well (hairs 0.5-1+ mm), rarely glabrous. Florets 15-30+; corollas yellow, 8-10 mm. Cypselae (black) columnar, 2.5-3 mm; pappi of 40-60+, white bristles in ± 2 series, 3.5-5 mm.

Flowering Jun-Aug(-Oct). Pine and pine-oak forests; 300-1000(-3000) m; Calif.