Perennials, subshrubs, or shrubs; (sometimes suffrutes-cent); (glaucous or not), mostly glabrous. Stems erect, unbranched or branched (few) proximally and distally, (1.2-) 3-12(-15.3) dm. Basal leaves (withered by flowering); similar to cauline. Cauline leaves: petiole 0.7-6.2 cm; blade (fleshy), oblanceolate to broadly lanceolate or ovate in outline, or (distally) lobed or linear to narrowly lanceolate, 3-15 cm (smaller distally), margins lyrate-pinnatifid or runcinate, or (distal) pinnately lobed or entire. Racemes somewhat dense. Fruiting pedicels horizontal to divaricate, 3-11 mm. Flowers: sepals oblong-linear, 8-16 mm; petals yellow, oblanceolate to oblong, 8-20 × 2-3 mm, claw 4-10 mm, wider at base, densely pubescent inside; filaments 11-28 mm, pilose at base; anthers 3-5 mm; gynophore 7-28 mm. Fruits usually spreading to divaricate, rarely ascending, often strongly curved downward, not tortuous, (smooth), terete, 3-9 cm × 1.5-3 mm; ovules 10-38 per ovary; style 0.2-0.6 mm. Seeds (sometimes black), oblong, 2.5-4.5 × 1.2-2 mm.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Subshrub

General: Habit: Perennial herb to subshrub. Stem: (1.2)3--12(15.3) dm, glaucous, hairs 0 or sparse; base branched, woody.

Leaves: Leaf: basal, proximal cauline 3--15 cm, 2--5 cm wide, oblanceolate to wide-lanceolate or ovate, pinnately lobed; distal cauline entire or few-lobed, base not lobed.

Flowers: Inflorescence: 1--3 dm, dense; buds +- yellow. Flower: sepals 8--16 mm; petals 8--20 mm, 2--3 mm wide, yellow, claw 4--10 mm, densely hairy inside; filament base hairy.

Fruits: Fruit: 3--9 cm, 1.5--3 mm; stalk above receptacle 7--28 mm; pedicel spreading, 3--11 mm, hairs 0 or few. Seed: (10)28--38, 2.5--4.5 mm, oblong.

Ecology: Found in chaparral, open sites, slopes, canyons, desert scrub, woodland, dunes, below 9,500 ft (2896 m); flowers April to September.

Distribution: Oregon to Montana and Kansas; south to New Mexico, Arizona, California.

Notes: This large showy perennial herb is an indicator of selenium-rich soils. Stanleya pinnata var. integrifolia is found in Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah; Stanleya pinnata var. texana, with entire proximal leaves, is found in Texas.

Synonyms: None

Editor: Hazelton pasted straight from Jepson, no editing