Plants 5–15 (20) dm tall; aerial flowering stems occasionally fistulose, 2–5 (10) dm long, glabrous; leaves sheathing, the blades 3–7 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, tomentose abaxially, subglabrous or glabrous adaxially, the margins strongly undulate-crisped; inflorescences cymose, 30–100 (150) cm long, 10–80 cm wide, the branches glabrous; involucres (2) 3–5 per cluster, 3–4 mm long, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent; flowers 2.5–3 mm long, the perianth white to pink, rarely yellowish, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. 2n = 80.

Involucres (2) 3–5 per cluster, 3–4 mm long, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent.

Flowering May-Oct. Sandy to gravelly or clayey flats and slopes, mixed grassland and chaparral communities, oak and conifer woodlands; 0–1200 m; along the Pacific Coast and in the adjacent mountains of Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and western Stanislaus cos., California.

Leaves tomentose abaxially.

Involucres (2) 3–5 per cluster, 3–4 mm long, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent.

Leaves tomentose abaxially.