Shrubs, 20-40(-60) cm (branched from bases, rounded), mildly aromatic; not root-sprouting. Stems silvery, canescent (bark gray-brown). Leaves persistent, light gray-green; blades narrowly cuneate, 0.5-3 × 0.2-0.5 cm, entire or 3(-5)-lobed (lobes 1.5-2 mm, less than ¹/3 blade lengths, acute), faces silvery canescent. Heads (usually nodding) in arrays 6-25 × 1-4 cm (branches erect, somewhat curved). Involucres globose, 2-3 × 1.5-2.5 mm. Phyllaries (8-15) ovate, canescent or tomentose. Florets: pistillate 0-2 (raylike, laminae to 1 mm); bisexual 1-3; corollas 1-1.5 mm (style branches of ray florets elongate, exsert, epapillate, tips acute; of disc florets, short, truncate, papillate). Cypselae (ellipsoid, 5-ribbed) 0.8-1 mm, glabrous. 2n = 18, 36, 72. Flowering early summer-late fall. Deserts, sandy or alkaline soils, rock outcrops; 1000-2500 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., N.Mex., Tex., Utah.

Plant: Shrub 4-6 dm, rounded, branched from base; stems many, slender, curved, silvery-canescent Leaves: 0.5-3 cm, entire to sharply 3-toothed, densely hairy INFLORESCENCE: 6-23 cm, 1-4 cm wide; heads 2-2.5 mm diam, nodding; phyllaries 12-15, ovate, obtuse, densely hairy, margins narrowly scarious Flowers: Pistillate flowers 0-2; ligules < 1 mm; corollas generally < 2 mm; Disk flowers 2-3; corollas < 1.5 mm, pale yellow; anther tips acute to awl-shaped; style branches flat, fringed or blunt (sometimes simple, tack-shaped in staminate flowers) Fruit: achenes, elliptic in outline, 5-ribbed, glabrous Misc: Sandy, often limestone soils; 1300-1900 m.; Aug-Sep