Plants 40–70 cm. Stems usually glabrous, rarely tomentulose. Leaves: basal blades oblanceolate to elliptic, 100–250 × 12–25 mm, not thin or succulent, margins entire to denticulate, faces glabrous. Heads in racemiform arrays. Involucres hemispheric, 10–15 × 12–18 mm. Phyllaries: bases pale, green-tipped, margins hyaline, sometimes ciliate, apices erect, faces glabrous. Cypsela faces densely sericeous.

Flowering Jun–Oct. Coastal valleys and marshes, neutral or saline soils; 0–300 m; Calif., Oreg.

Variety racemosa is recognized by its robust habit, large heads, racemiform arrays, and occurrence in non-alkaline soils.