Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.

Habitat: Coastal, bluffs, grasslands, open slopes, salt marsh margins, and disturbed ground.

Flowers: July-October

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies

Fibrous-rooted perennial from a rhizome or branched base, the stems 2-10 dm. tall, pubescent at least above.

Lower leaves oblanceolate, petiolate, entire, pubescent, early-deciduous; middle and upper leaves linear to obovate or oval, sessile, entire, usually pubescent, 2-10 cm. long and 2-20 mm. wide.

Heads few to many in an open inflorescence, with a few erect, pointed, linear bracts below the heads; involucre 5-7 mm. high, the bracts imbricate, papery below and green above, the outer rounded, the inner pointed; disk flowers numerous, yellow; ray flowers 15-40, pistillate, blue or pinkish, 7-15 mm. long; pappus of numerous capillary bristles.

Fruit an achene.