Plants 5-25 cm; proximal un-branched portions of primary stems shorter or longer than branches supporting heads. Leaves ± evenly distributed on stems. Heads usually reflexed in bud and fruit. Phyllaries 4-8, hirsute and/or hirtellous near folded edges. Ray florets 4-8; laminae 3-7 mm. Disc florets 7-30, bisexual, fertile. Ray cypselae not gibbous, beakless; pappi 0. Disc cypselae 2.3-4.5 mm; pappi of 9-11 lance-attenuate, fimbrillate scales 2-3.7 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering Apr-Jun. Rocky soils, openings in chaparral or woodlands; of conservation concern; 100-1000 m; Calif.

Harmonia nutans occurs in the southern North Coast Ranges and northern San Francisco Bay area, mostly on volcanic substrates. Based on molecular phylogenetic data, H. nutans evidently represents the sister-group to the serpentine-endemic species of Harmonia (B. G. Baldwin 2001).