Hairy stems reach 20 inches tall and have nodding flower heads with showy yellow rays around a yellow disk. Note the dense basal rosette of rough leaves, and the phyllaries beneath the flower head are pointed, loosely arranged, and lined with shaggy, white hairs.

FLOWER: June–September. Usually one (2–4) nodding or sideways pointing flower per stem; stem hairy, especially below flower head. Flower heads to 3 inches diameter (7.5 cm) with 8–14 yellow rays, each 1 inch long (25 mm) and with 2 grooves; disk yellow, 5/8–13/16 inch wide (15–20 mm). Phyllaries linear to lance-shaped, tips pointed, margins lined with long ciliate hairs.

LEAVES: Mostly basal in a dense rosette, few opposite (lower) to alternate (upper) on stem. Blades spatula- to lance-shaped, 2 5/8–4 inches long (6–10 cm); margins have ciliate hairs, surfaces rough, conspicuous center vein and 2–4 side veins.

HABITAT: Sandy, gravelly, rocky soils; woodlands, meadows, forest openings; pinyon-juniper, ponderosa, spruce-fir forests.

ELEVATION: 7,400– 11,800 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, NM, UT.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Five-nerve Dwarf Sunflower, H. quinquenervis, in much the same range and habitat, is larger with stems 20–60 inches tall, 13–21 rays, and leaves 4–12 inches long.

NM COUNTIES: In the mountains of NM at mid- to high-elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Eddy, Grant, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Valencia.