Plants 20-60 cm; self-incom-patible (herbage gray-green, pleasantly scented). Stems simple or branched (branches 1-6, ± ascending, mostly distal to midpoints, rigid), ± densely strigillose-hirsutulous, strigose (hairs longer, glandular distally). Leaves mostly alternate, 2-5 cm (often longest at midstems), hispidulous and ± long-hairy (especially proximal margins). Heads in glomerate-spiciform arrays (1-3+ per node). Peduncular bracts (15-20+, closely investing and concealing heads before flowering) narrowly lanceolate to lance-attenuate (± cylindric distally 1-3+ mm), 3-7 mm (hispidulous, ± bristly and/or pectinate-fimbriate), apices truncate to strongly concave, tack-glands 1 (terminal). Phyllaries 6-9 mm (± prominently nerved), abaxial faces (often reddish) hispidulous, often long-hairy, especially distally, tack-glands 1-5+. Paleae 6-9 mm (tack-glands usually 0). Ray florets 1-5; corollas white, fading reddish, tubes 3-4 mm (± papillate, sometimes with red 'eyes'), laminae 6-11 mm (central lobes smaller than laterals, widest at bases, symmetric, laterals asymmetric, sinuses ¹/3-²/3 laminae). Disc florets 4-11; corollas pinkish, 7-10 mm. Ray cypselae ca. 3 mm, smooth, densely appressed-hairy. Disc cypselae ca. 3 mm, appressed hairy; pappi of 9-16 lanceolate-aristate scales, mostly 3-6 mm. 2n = 8.

Flowering summer. Dry, open meadows and hillsides; 50-1400 m; Calif.

Calycadenia spicata is found in the Sierra Nevada foothills from Butte County to Kern County. Populations are often localized.