Plants 20-150 cm. Involucres 12-20 mm. Ligules surpassing phyllaries by 5-7 mm. Cypselae light tan or sordid, 9-14 mm, including very slender beaks 5-7 mm; pappi of 6-15, wholly plumose bristles, barbs straight, separate. 2n = 16. Flowering Apr-Jun. Open places in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodlands in northern and coastal California and southwestern Oregon (often found after fires), Upper Sonoran Zone; 100-1500 m; Ariz., Calif., Nev., Oreg.; Mexico (Baja California).

Plant: Annual, glabrous; sap milky; stem generally 1 from base, erect, branched chiefly in upper half, 2-15+ dm, in larger plants 10+ mm diam near base Leaves: basal and cauline, alternate, 3-15 cm, oblong, dentate or coarsely and ± widely lobed; upper bract-like INFLORESCENCE: heads ligulate, generally several-many, solitary or in ± flat-topped or panicle-like clusters; peduncles 1-8 cm; involucres 14-20 mm; phyllaries in 3-4 series, outer 2-3 series unequal, lanceolate to ovate, acute to acuminate, tips spreading, innermost series ± equal, linear-acuminate, >> outer, erect, generally ± membrane-margined; receptacle flat or convex, naked Flowers: many; ligules 5-8 mm, slightly > phyllaries, white or cream, often rose-tinged, especially beneath, readily withering Fruit: achenes, narrowly elliptic; body smooth or tubercled, weakly ribbed, tapered to a beak, 9-11 mm (including beak); body 4-5 mm, ± glabrous to short-rough-hairy; beak slender, ± = body; pappus bristles 6-10 mm, very fine, plumose to tip with straight hairs, dull white to brownish; bristles bearing straight hairs Misc: Shrubby slopes, open woods, deserts, often common after fires; < 1500 m.; Apr-Jul