Plants 10-40 cm. Stems stipitate-glandular. Leaves 10-20 × 2-4 cm, sharply dentate to pinnately lobed (lobes dentate; distal cauline leaves stipitate-glandular) . Heads 10-30. Peduncles tomentulose, stipitate-glandular. Phyllaries 10-13, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular (lacking dark or long black setae). Florets 18-30. Cypselae golden brown. 2n = 22, 33.

Flowering May-Jun. Arid rocky hillsides, sagebrush scrub; 1000-2200 m; Alta., B.C., Sask.; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wyo.