Haplopappus contractus H. M. Hall; H. uniflorus (Hooker) Torrey & A. Gray subsp. howellii (A. Gray) H. M. Hall; H. uniflorus var. howellii (A. Gray) M. Peck; Pyrrocoma howellii (A. Gray) Greene

Plants 10–40 cm. Stems reddish, tomentose, lanate, or glabrate. Leaves: basal blades narrowly to broadly lanceolate, 50–100 × 5–15 mm, margins usually remotely denticulate, rarely laciniate or entire; faces tomentose to glabrate or glabrous. Heads usually borne singly, terminal, rarely 1–2 additional proximally. Involucres 6–9 × 13–18 mm. Phyllaries appressed, subequal, outer sometimes shorter. 2n = 12.

Flowering May–Sep. Montane pine forests, alkaline meadows, around hot springs; 1400–2900 m; Alta., N.W.T., Sask.; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wyo.

Variety uniflora is the more widespread and variable of the two varieties.