Shrubs, 10-30(-50) cm (trunks relatively short, widely and loosely branched), pungently aromatic; not root-sprouting. Stems brown, glabrescent (vegetative of approximately equal heights, giving plants a `hedged´ appearance; bark dark gray, exfoliating with age). Leaves persistent, usually bright green to dark green, sometimes gray-green; blades cuneate, 3-lobed (lobes to ¹/3 blade lengths, 0.5-2 × 0.2-1 cm, rounded), faces sparsely hairy, gland-dotted. Heads in paniculiform arrays 4-10 × 0.5-3 cm (branches ± erect; peduncles slender). Involucres narrowly turbinate, 2-3 × 2 mm. Phyllaries (straw-colored or light green) ovate to elliptic (margins hyaline, shiny-resinous), sparsely hairy or glabrous. Florets 2-6; corollas 2-3 mm, glabrous (style branches scarcely exsert). Cypselae (ribbed) 0.8-1.5 mm, glabrous or resinous. 2n = 18, 36. Flowering mid summer-late fall. Shallow soils, desert valleys, exposed mountain slopes; 1500-2300 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo.

Plant: Shrub 1-3 dm, loosely branched from short trunk; stems canescent, becoming ± glabrous Leaves: 0.5-2 cm, wedge-shaped, generally 3-toothed at tip (generally entire on flower-stems), evergreen INFLORESCENCE: slender; branches erect; heads 2-3 mm diam; phyllaries elliptic to ovate, inner generally glabrous, shiny-resinous, straw-colored, margins transparent Flowers: Pistillate flowers 0; Disk flowers 3-6; corollas < 2 mm, pale yellow; anther tips acute to awl-shaped; style branches flat, fringed or blunt (sometimes simple, tack-shaped in staminate flowers) Fruit: achenes, 0.8-1 mm, ribbed, glabrous or resinous Misc: Shallow rocky soils in desert valleys, dry slopes; < 2300 m.; Sep-Nov