Plants erect, not mat- or mound-forming, 1-3 m; twigs usually glabrous, rarely sparsely short-hairy . Petioles 8-12 mm, smooth, glabrous. Inflorescences: axis usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely short-hairy; bracts glabrous or sparsely short-hairy. 2n = 26.

Flowering winter-early spring. Chaparral; 100- 1000 m; Calif.

Subspecies stanfordiana is widespread in the interior northern Coast Ranges.