It is endemic to New Mexico in the United States, where it occurs in the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains.

[2] This plant was discovered on the White Sands Missile Range in 1978 by Thomas K. Todsen (1918-2010) and described to science and named for him the following year.

[2] It is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing up to 20 centimeters tall with fragrant lance-shaped leaves.

The tubular flowers are red-orange or occasionally yellow in color and bloom in the summer rainy season.

It occurs in pinyon-juniper woodland habitat dominated by the Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis) and one seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma).