Perennials, 8-30 cm (polycarpic, often with sparingly branched, woody caudices). Stems 1-10, green throughout to purple-red-tinted proximally or distally to purple-red-tinted throughout, usually unbranched distally, ± hairy. Leaves: blades simple or lobed (lobes 3-15), ± hairy, gland-dotted (basal leaf bases, sparsely, if at all, long-villous-woolly); mid leaves simple or lobed (lobes 3-7, terminal lobes 1-2.5 mm wide). Heads 1-10 per plant, usually borne singly. Peduncles 1-10 cm, ± hairy, tomentose distally near involucres. Involucres hemispheric to subglobose, 15-25 × 18-30 mm. Phyllaries in 2-3 series, subequal; outer 16-24, basally connate ¹/5-¹/4 their lengths, lanceolate, 9-15 mm, apices acute; inner 16-24+, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 8-12 mm, apices acuminate to acute. Ray florets 15-34(-44); corollas yellow, 16-30 × 4-8 mm. Disc florets 150-400+; corollas 5-6 mm. Cypselae obpyramidal to narrowly obpyramidal, 3.3-3.7 mm; pappi of 5-7 lanceolate, aristate scales 4.5-5.3 mm. 2n = 30.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Meadows, often above timberline; 2600-4300 m; Colo., Idaho, Mont., Utah, Wyo.