Perennials, 60-200 cm (taprooted). Stems (reddish or purplish) erect, hairy. Leaves cauline; all or mostly opposite; petioles 0-3 cm; blades (1- or 3-nerved) lanceolate to lance-ovate, 5-11 × 2-3.5 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire or serrate, abaxial faces hispid, gland-dotted. Heads 1-5. Peduncles 2.5-30 cm. Involucres hemispheric, 13-20 mm diam. Phyllaries 20-25, lanceolate, 4-8 × 1.5-3 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acute, abaxial faces hispidulous, gland-dotted. Paleae 8-9 mm, subentire to weakly 3-toothed (apices acute, ciliate, gland-dotted). Ray florets 13-21; laminae 15-25 mm (abaxial faces gland-dotted). Disc florets 50+; corollas 5-6 mm, lobes reddish; anthers reddish brown, appendages yellow or dull orange (style branches yellow ). Cypselae 3-4 mm, glabrate; pappi of 2 aristate scales 2.5-3 mm. 2n = 34.

Flowering late spring-fall. Dry slopes; 0-1800 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).