Perennials, 2-15+ cm. Caudices ± branched, branches notably thickened distally. Stems 1-30(-40), erect, unbranched. Leaves all basal, new leaves tightly clustered; blades (midribs usually pronounced) spatulate or oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, entire, glabrous or usually sparsely, sometimes moderately to densely, hairy, densely gland-dotted. Heads 1-10(-40) per plant, borne singly. Peduncles (0.5-)2-15 cm, ± hairy proximally, almost always densely lanate distally. Involucres 10-12 × 12-15 mm. Outer phyllaries 4-8, 6-8.5 mm, margins (0.3-)0.5-1.2 mm wide, usually conspicuously scarious, abaxial faces ± hairy. Ray florets 7-14; corollas 11-17 mm. Disc florets 25-150+; corollas yellow, 4-4.7 mm. Cypselae 3-4 mm; pappi of 5-7 obovate to oblanceolate, aristate scales 3-4(-4.5) mm.

Flowering May-Jun(-Sep). Roadsides, hillsides, slopes, open treeless areas, edges of woods; (1300-)1700-3100 m; Colo., Mont., Utah, Wyo.