Plants spreading and diffuse, (0.5) 1–5 dm tall, 1–5 (7) dm across, pubescent; leaves basal, the petiole 0.3–1 (1.5) cm long, the leaf-blade oblanceolate, (0.5) 1–3 (4) cm long, (0.2) 0.4–1 (1.2) cm wide, thinly pubescent on both surfaces; inflorescences with involucres in open clusters 2–6 cm diam., not disarticulating at the nodes, greenish or reddish; bracts 2–3 at proximal node, usually opposite, usually foliaceous, often with whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 0.1–0.4 cm wide, gradually becoming reduced, linear-lanceolate, 0.4–1.2 (1.5) cm long, 0.15–0.5 cm wide, at distal nodes scalelike, linear and aciculate, acerose, the awns straight, 1–3 mm long; involucres 3–10 or more, urceolate, strongly ventricose basally, 3-angled and 6-ribbed, 4–4.5 mm long, corrugate, thinly pubescent, greenish or reddish, without scarious or membranous margins, the teeth spreading, unequal, 1–3 mm long, the awns straight or uncinate with longer anterior one straight and mostly 2 mm long, others uncinate and 0.5–1 mm long; flowers exserted, the perianth bicolored with hypanthium white to greenish-yellow and tepals red to maroon, cylindric, 4–4.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent, the hypanthium 1/2 length of perianth, the tepals dimorphic, oblong, those of outer whorl spreading and recurved, slightly longer than those of inner whorl, broadly obcordate, slightly erose or at least wavy and rounded apically, those of inner whorl erect, narrower, fimbriate and truncate or somewhat bilobed apically, the stamens 9, exserted, the filaments distinct, adnate at base of hypanthium, 3.5–4 mm long, glabrous, the anthers pink to red or maroon, oblong, 1–1.3 mm long; achenes brown, globose- lenticular, 3–3.5 mm long, the embryo straight; 2n = 40, 42, 44.

Flowering May-Sep. Serpentine outcrops, mixed grassland communities, oak-pine woodlands; 500–1000 m; coastal mountain ranges of southeastern Monterey Co. and southern San Benito Co. south in western Fresno Co. to the Parkfield Grade area and Cottonwood Pass of San Luis Obispo Co., California.