Plants shrubs or subshrubs, spreading to rounded, usually sparsely branched, 3–7 dm tall, 5–12 (15) dm across; leaf blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.8–1.5 cm long, 0.4–0.8 cm wide, floccose or glabrous abaxially; inflorescences 3–15 (23) cm long, 5–20 cm wide, the branches usually diffuse with dichotomously arranged involucres, slender, round, smooth, glabrous, not spinose; involucres campanulate, 1–1.5 mm long, 1.5–3 mm wide; flowers 2.5–3 mm long, the perianth white, the tepals glabrous or rarely sparsely glandular (at least those of the inner whorl).

Flowers 2.5–3 mm long, the perianth white, the tepals glabrous or rarely sparsely glandular (at least those of the inner whorl).

Involucre campanulate, 1-1.5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide.

Shrubs or subshrubs, spreading to rounded, usually sparsely branched, 30 to 70 cm tall, 50 to 120 (150) cm across.

Flowering Jun-Oct. Limestone or volcanic flats, washes, and slopes, saltbush and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper and montane conifer woodlands; 1100–2500 m; northern Great Basin, extending from Mono and Inyo cos., California, northeast and east into Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, and Washoe cos., Nevada.

Inflorescences 3–15 (23) cm long, 5–20 cm wide, the branches usually diffuse with dichotomously arranged involucres, slender, round, smooth, glabrous, not spinose.