Plants 10-30 cm. Stems ascending to spreading, green when young, becoming dark brown then gray, branched, twigs stipitate-glandular, resin coated. Leaves ascending; blades elliptic to obovate, 9-18 × 2.5-4 mm, midnerves prominent with 2 fainter, collateral nerves, (margins undulate) apices usually obtuse to rounded, sometimes acute, apiculate, faces stipitate-glandular, resinous; axillary leaf fascicles reduced or absent. Heads in cymiform arrays. Peduncles 1-15 mm (bracts 3-8, gradually reduced, leafy). Involucres obconic, 5-7 × 2.5-3.5 mm. Phyllaries 22-30 in 4-5 series, mostly tan, lanceolate to elliptic, 1.5-5 × 0.8-1.2 mm, strongly unequal, chartaceous (bodies abruptly constricted at bases of appendages), midnerves usually inconspicuous, (margins scarious, entire or minutely lacerate) apices acute to acuminate or cuspidate, abaxial faces glabrous, lightly resinous, sometimes gland-dotted. Ray florets 3-4; laminae elliptic, 1.9-2.5 × 0.6-1.3 mm. Disc florets 8-9; corollas 3.5-5.3 mm. Cypselae tan, subcylindric to narrowly oblanceoloid, 2.2-4 mm, sericeous; pappi whitish, 3-5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering late summer-fall. Rock-crevices and talus, often on granitic outcrops and soils; 1500-2400 m; Ariz., Nev., Utah.

Ericameria cervina is found in northwest Arizona, adjacent Nevada, and Utah.