Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.3-1 × 1-3 dm, glabrous, greenish. Stems spreading, with persistent leaf bases, up to 5 height of plant; caudex stems matted; aerial flowering stems scapelike,weakly erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.2-0.8(-0.9) dm, glabrous.  Leaves basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts; petiole 0.2-1.5(-2) cm, tomentose; blade oblanceolate to spatulate or elliptic to ovate, 0.3-1.5 × 0.15-0.8 cm, densely white-tomentose on both surfaces or floccose and greenish adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences capitate, 0.8-1.2 cm wide; branches absent; bracts 3-6, triangular, scalelike, 1-3(-4) mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres 4-7 per cluster, campanulate, 2-4 × (2.5-)3-4 mm, weakly rigid, glabrous or sparsely floccose; teeth 5-6, erect, 0.8-1.4 mm. Flowers 2-4 mm; perianth bright yellow, glabrous; tepals connate proximal 4- 3, monomorphic, oblong to oblong-obovate; stamens exserted, 2.5-3.5 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, 2-3.5 mm, glabrous.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): w United States.