Plants shrubs, 3–8 dm tall, (4) 5–10 (12) dm across, floccose; stems lacking a caudex, the aerial flowering stems 0.5–1.5 dm long, floccose; leaf blades 1.5–3.5 cm long, 0.5–1.2 cm wide, densely reddish-brown tomentose abaxially, floccose adaxially, the margins not revolute; inflorescences 1–8 cm long, the branches floccose; involucres 2.5–4 mm long, floccose; flowers 2.5–3 mm long, the perianth yellow; achenes 2.5–3 mm long.

Inflorescences 1–8 cm long, the branches floccose; involucres 2.5–4 mm long, floccose; flowers 2.5–3 mm long, the perianth yellow.

Stems lacking a caudex, the aerial flowering stems 0.5–1.5 dm long, floccose; leaf blades 1.5–3.5 cm long, 0.5–1.2 cm wide, densely reddish-brown tomentose abaxially, floccose adaxially, the margins not revolute.

In the Doyle population, there was a small number of plants with flowers pale yellow or almost white among the yellow ones. Jim answered back: «The variation in flower color in var. schoolcraftii is not surprising, but I have not seen it myself».  

Flowering July to September. Sandy to rocky soil, sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands; 1400–2200 m.