Leaves often mostly with 1-directional orientation to one side of stems; blades (30-)40-60 × 1-4 mm, apices usually acute, faces glabrate to sparsely strigose. Phyllaries 0.5-0.8 mm wide, margins usually thick or only with narrow scarious rims, midnerves usually not distinct and orange-resinous, abaxial faces glabrate to sparsely strigose, sometimes sparsely, obscurely glandular; inner phyllaries (4-)5-6 mm. Ray florets 26-50; corollas 8-13 mm. Disc corollas 4-5.5 mm.

Flowering Apr-Jul. Rocky sites, commonly along rivers, hills in oak or pine-oak woodlands; 100-600 m; Calif.

Among the varieties of Erigeron foliosus, var. hartwegii is the most distinct, morphologically and geographically, and might justifiably be treated at specific rank.