Herbage usually glabrous or sparsely hispidulous, sometimes densely hirtellous, leaves sometimes stipitate-glandular, never resinous. Leaf blades oblanceolate to narrowly oblong-oblanceolate or nearly linear, mostly 10-40(-50) mm, margins usually entire (hispidulous-cilate, sometimes also on faces), sometimes shallowly toothed distally (especially along western margin of range; teeth in 1(-3) pairs). Involucres 3.2-5.5 × 2.5-4 mm. Phyllary apices yellowish, or if green, then margins scarious, not aristate, gland-dotted, without resin pockets. Florets (8-)11-17(-21); corollas 5-6 mm. Cypsela ribs not forming hornlike extensions. 2n = 12, 24. Flowering (Apr-)Jul-Oct. Igneous or calcareous substrates, sometimes over gypsum, sandy or clay loam, commonly with Larrea-Prosopis; 400-1400(-1600) m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila). Like other species of Isocoma, I. pluriflora usually is gland-dotted, but scattered plants are stipitate-glandular.