Caudices simple or apically branched, cespitose, 0.1-5 × 1-3 cm, axillary branches absent. Leaves: rosettes 1-2, not in clumps, 10-25-leaved, 3-12 cm diam.; blade pale green, oblong-lanceolate, tapering from base or slightly wider near middle, 3-15 × 0.5-2.5 cm, 1.5-6 mm thick, base 0.5-2.5 cm wide, apex narrowly acute, surfaces not farinose, glaucous at least when young. Inflorescences: cyme (red), 2-3-branched, obpyramidal; branches not twisted (flowers on topside), simple or 1 times bifurcate, (5-20 cm wide); cincinni 2-3, 2-20-flowered, circinate, 1-18 cm; floral shoots 5-40 × 0.2-0.9 cm; leaves 5-20, ascending, triangular-lanceolate, 5-70 × 3-10 mm, apex acute. Pedicels erect, not bent in fruit, 5-20 mm. Flowers: calyx 4-8 × 4.5-7 mm; petals connate 1-4 mm, bright to greenish yellow or red-marked, 8-20 × 9-20 mm, apex acute, tips often outcurved; pistils connivent, erect. Unripe follicles erect. The three geographically isolated subspecies of Dudleya saxosa differ mostly in size of parts and in level of ploidy.

Plant: perennial herb; rosettes solitary or few, 3-12 cm wide, of 10-25 erect or ascending leaves, on short stem 1-3 cm thick Leaves: at first glaucous, later green, oblong-lanceolate, tapering from base or slightly wider near middle, narrowly acute, 3-20 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, 1.5-6 mm thick, the base 0.5-2.5 cm wide INFLORESCENCE: FLORAL STEMS 0.5-4 dm tall, 2-6 mm thick, red, the 5-15 leaves ascending, triangular-lanceolate, acute, the lowest 0.5-7 cm long, 3-10 mm wide; CYMES red, of 2-6 ascending branches 1-12 cm long, 2-12-flowered; pedicels erect, 0.5-2 cm long, straight Flowers: FLOWERS: sepals 2.5-7 mm long; corolla yellow or red-marked, 9-20 mm long, the tube 1-4 mm long Fruit: FOLLICLES many-seeded. SEEDS narrowly ovoid, brown, striate, to 1 mm long REFERENCES: Moran, Reid. 1994. Bixaceae. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 190-194.