Stems viscid to glandular-villous. Peduncles viscid to glandular-villous. Involucres 8-12 mm. Florets 15-28(-34). 2n = 18.

Flowering Jul-Oct. Dry rocky places, canyon walls, sand dunes, washes; 1200-2400 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; Mexico.

Brickellia watsonii, more recently recognized as B. microphylla var. watsonii, is distinguished by its tomentose-puberulent, often gland-dotted indument (contrasted with the villous to glandular-villous indument of var. microphylla), and heads with ca. 18 flowers (versus 15-34 in var. microphylla); such distinctions have proved to be weakly substantiated, at best.