Shrubs, 50-60(-80) cm. Stems white (felty-tomentose when young). Leaves sometimes bright green, blades linear to narrowly lanceolate, (1.5-)3-4 × 0.2-0.6 cm, usually entire, sometimes with irregular lobes. Heads (2-3 per branch) in (sparsely leafy) arrays 12-18 × 1-2 cm. Involucres broadly campanulate, 3-4 × 4-5 mm. Phyllaries narrowly ovate-lanceolate, acute (outer) or obtuse, densely hairy. Florets 8-16. Cypselae 1-1.5 mm. 2n = 18, 36.

Flowering mid-late summer. Gravel soils, mountain meadows, stream banks; 1600-3300 m; Calif., Nev., Oreg.

Subspecies bolanderi is known only from the western United States.