Perennials, (30-)50-100 cm; taprooted. Stems persistently grayish tomentose, not glandular, (3-5 mm diam. near bases). Leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate, 2-5(-8) cm × 5-10(-18) mm (gradually smaller distally, becoming lanceolate), bases not clasping, not decurrent, margins flat, faces weakly bicolor, tomentose (adaxial less densely), not glandular. Heads in loose, corymbiform arrays. Involucres turbinate-campanulate, 5-6 mm. Phyllaries in 4-5 series, white (opaque, dull), ovate to oblong-ovate (inner narrower, all usually with filiform but definitely thickened keel and slight apiculum), tomentose (at least bases). Pistillate florets 29-49. Bisexual florets 5-9. Cypselae ridged, smooth to weakly papillate-roughened. 2n = 28.

Flowering (Apr-)Jun-Aug(-Nov). Grassy hillsides, gravelly canyon bottoms, chaparral, coastal sage scrub; 50-900(-1800) m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Pseudognaphalium microcephalum is characterized by stems commonly stiffly erect and slightly zigzag distally, relatively thick (3-5 mm diam. near bases), and closely grayish tomentose, leaves oblanceolate, sessile, sometimes clasping, not decurrent, and weakly bicolor, and heads usually in open, corymbiform arrays.