Taprooted perennial herb. Stems erect, often branched, 25–90 cm. Herbage strigose, punctate. Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, petiolate; blades 2–10 cm long, deeply pinnately divided into 3 to 13 oblanceolate, well-separated lobes. Heads radiate, solitary on branch tips; involucres reflexed; phyllaries in 2 series; outer linear-lanceolate, 5–10 mm long; inner short, ovate; receptacle cylindric, 15–35 mm high with small, hirsute scales clasping the flowers. Ray flowers 4 to 12, sterile; ligules yellow (purple), 10–25 mm long. Disk flowers numerous, perfect, greenish, tube shorter than the throat; style branches with a hairy appendage. Pappus of 1 or 2 short teeth. Achenes obconic, 1–3 mm long, compressed, glabrate (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).