Perennials, 10-100 cm (caudices woody). Stems ascending to erect, glabrate or woolly, eglandular or glandular. Leaves: mid and distal blades linear-lanceolate to ovate, 2-5 cm × 6-15 mm, faces glabrate and eglandular to moderately glandular and/or woolly. Heads 1-15(-35) in racemiform to corymbiform or paniculiform arrays. Peduncles sparsely to densely woolly and glandular. Involucres turbinate-cylindric, 6-10 mm. Phyllaries in 3-4 series (sometimes reddish along margins), lance-linear to lance-oblong, ± subequal, margins eciliate, apices acuminate, abaxial faces glabrate and eglandular to moderately woolly or glandular. Rays 0. Cypselae strigose; pappus bristles in 1 series (6-10 mm), barbellate. 2n = 18. Flowering Jul-Sep. Open coniferous forest and subalpine meadows; 1500-3000(-3500) m; Calif., Nev. Eucephalus breweri is found in the Sierra Nevada. Specimens at the northern edge of the range may intergrade with E. glabratus and E. tomentellus.