Twigs densely short-hairy and with longer, white hairs. Leaf blade surfaces densely short-hairy abaxially (and sometimes adaxially). Immature inflorescence axes glabrous or hairy, sometimes glandular (not densely glandular-hairy). Ovaries densely hairy.

Flowering winter-early spring. Maritime chaparral and open conifer forests; 300-500 m; Calif.

Subspecies crinita occurs in the central and southern Santa Cruz Mountains, and also the interior uplands of Monterey Bay, outer Central Coast Range.