Shrubs, 30-80(-120+) cm. Stems erect. Leaves mostly alternate; petioles 0-2 mm; blades (± white abaxially) elliptic, lance-linear, or rhombic, 10-40(-60) × 5-15(-40) mm, bases ± cuneate, margins irregularly toothed to ± laciniate, abaxial faces densely strigillose, adaxial faces tomentulose and pilosulous. Pistillate heads clustered, proximal to staminates; florets 1. Staminate heads: peduncles 0-0.5 mm; involucres saucer-shaped to shallowly cup-shaped, 4-8+ mm diam., tomentulose and/or pilose; florets 12-25+. Burs: bodies obconic to fusiform, 3-5+ mm, densely villous and stipitate-glandular, spines 12-20+, scattered or mostly distal, ± subulate, 3-4 mm, tips straight. 2n = 36. Flowering Apr-May(-Jul). Sandy and gravelly washes; 700-1700 m; Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah.

Plant: Shrub 3-18 dm, ± spheric; stems gray-brown, ± woolly, becoming glabrous Leaves: petioles winged; blades 1-9 cm, ± lanceolate, coarsely toothed or pinnately lobed, ± rolled under, ± green above INFLORESCENCE: primary inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower; staminate heads few in ± spikes or racemes, 5-7 mm diam, involucre lobes 5-8; phyllaries fused into shallow cup; pistillate heads generally 1-flowered Flowers: Staminate flowers ± many; corolla yellow or translucent; anthers free; style unbranched; Pistillate flowers 1-5; corolla 0; style branches long Fruit: Fruit: enclosed in a bur 8-11 mm, greenish brown, densely long-soft-hairy; spines 12-20, generally near middle, straight, flat, stout, sharp, tips ± hair-tufted; pappus 0 Misc: Dry washes and slopes; 800-1700 m.; Mar-May Notes: pistillate=one inflorescencestaminate=many inflorescences References: AZ Flora: Kearney and Peebles, Seed Plants of N. AZ: McDougall, A Utah Flora: Welsh,ASU Specimens