Leaf blades narrowly ovate to ovate or elliptic, 3-12.8 × 1-4.2 cm, (to 14.9 × 8.1 cm on sucker shoots), margins usually strongly revolute. Inflorescences 3.5-8 cm, usually gray-tomentose, rarely with glandular hairs; floral bracts lanceolate-linear to lanceolate-ovate, nearly plane to subnavicular, 2-7 mm. Pedicels 4-8.5 mm. Sepals rarely glandular.

Flowering Mar-Jun; fruiting (Mar-)Jun-Sep. Chaparral with Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Cercocarpus sp., Cupressus sp., Heteromeles arbutifolia, Quercus sp., Rhus integrifolia, and Xylococcus bicolor; of conservation concern; 0-600 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Subspecies diversifolia occurs in Orange and San Diego counties, and in the mountains of Baja California.