Plants 10-40 cm; proximal indument grayish, sparsely arachnoid, early glabrescent (usually glabrous by flowering). Stems mostly 1-5(-12); branches proximal and/or distal. Leaves basal (withering) and cauline, (1-)2-6 cm; largest blades linear or ± elliptic, ± plane or terete, ± succulent, 0-1-pinnately lobed; lobes 1-2(-5) pairs, remote, ± terete. Heads mostly 1-5(-7) per stem. Peduncles 1-5(-8) cm, glabrous (and ± expanded) distally. Involucres broadly obconic to campanulate. Phyllaries: longest 10-18 mm (surpassed by florets); outer distally tomentulose-puberulent in fruit (proximally glabrous, not stipitate-glandular), apices ± squarrose, blunt, pliant. Florets: corollas (diurnal) dirty-whitish to pinkish, 6-10 mm (± equal to cypsela lengths, anthers exserted); peripheral corollas erect to ascending, actinomorphic, scarcely enlarged. Cypselae 5-9 mm; pappi of 8 scales in 2, abruptly unequal series, longest scales 5-9 mm. 2n = 14. Flowering late Mar-Jul. Open, deep, loose sandy (rarely gravelly) soils, arid and semiarid shrublands, chaparral; (100-)300-2500 m; Ariz., Calif., Nev., Oreg.

Plant: Annual, branched above middle; stems 1-several, erect, < 50 cm; base generally becoming glabrous before flower time Leaves: < 7 cm, generally glabrous, ± fleshy; basal rosette withering; largest blades entire or 1-pinnately lobed, lobes 1-2(5) pairs, well separated, longest near middle, tips cylindric INFLORESCENCE: primary inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower; heads discoid, few-many per stem; peduncles < 6 cm; involucre widely obconic, base (at least of outer phyllaries) glabrous, tips densely puberulent, glandless; longest phyllaries 10-18 mm, generally recurved, tips soft, blunt Flowers: 10-many; corollas white to pinkish, all radial, 7-9 mm, outer somewhat enlarged Fruit: 5-9 mm, club-shaped, stiffly hairy; pappus scales 8 in 2 series, outer << inner, longest 5-9 mm Misc: Sand; 300-2500 m.; Spring-early summer