Stems 10-23 cm. Heads 1-4, held just beyond to well beyond basal leaves. Involucres 5-7 × (9-)11-12(-14) mm. Phyllaries sparsely to moderately hirtellous (hairs mostly 0.3-0.8 mm), sometimes sparsely minutely glandular. Ray laminae 5.5-8(-9). Disc corollas 3-4 mm. Cypselae 1.8-2.3 mm; pappi of 16-20 bristles 3-3.5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering May-Aug. Open, grassy sites, often with sagebrush scrub, usually over volcanic substrate, less commonly over serpentine; (1000-)1500-2500 m; Calif., Oreg.