Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Nevada.

Habitat: Open, dry, often rocky places, low deserts to mid-elevations in the mountains.

Flowers: May-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Aromatic, perennial herbs from a stout taproot and branching woody base, the numerous stems usually simple, somewhat woody below, 1-5 dm. tall, ascending to erect.

Leaves opposite, square, short-petiolate, the blades lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, entire, firm, 1-3.5 cm. long and 3-12 mm. wide.

Flowers in dense, terminal heads 1-4 cm. wide with an involucre beneath; the involucral bracts 7-15 mm. long, dry, veiny and purplish-tinged, with long hairs on the margins; calyx with prominent nerves, 5 short teeth; corolla pink-purple to white, 1-2 cm. long, two-lipped, the lips nearly equal, about half as long as the tube; corolla lobes slender, rounded, the upper 2 connected about their, the lower 3 distinct to the base; stamens 4, shortly exerted; style 2-parted; ovary 2-celled, superior.

Nutlets 4