Perennials, 30-100 cm (caudices underground); herbage densely glandular-puberulent and ± bristly. Leaves sessile; blades green, ovate to oblong, 3-9 cm, bases ± auriculate, margins entire or dentate, apices obtuse, faces glandular-puberulent to stipitate-glandular. Heads usually borne singly. Involucres 10-15 mm. Phyllaries green, narrowly lance-oblong, apices obtuse (abaxial faces densely glandular-puberulent). Ray florets 0. Disc corollas 6-8 mm. Cypselae 7-10 mm; pappi 3-5 mm. 2n = 36.

Flowering May-Jul. Openings in chaparral; 400-1700 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).