Subshrubs or shrubs, 20–70 cm; internodes mostly 10–30 mm. Leaf blades linear to filiform, 20–50 × 1–5 mm. Phyllaries 5, oblong to linear, 9–15 mm. Florets (5–)12–30; corollas whitish to purplish, 6–9 mm. Cypselae 6–10 mm; pappi: longer bristles 7–9 mm. 2n = 48.

Flowering late winter–early summer; fall. Sandy, gravelly, and rocky sites (usually granitic) with desert scrub; 200–2100 m; Ariz., Calif., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora).