Plants loosely to densely cespitose, to 1.5 dm. Leaves to 12 cm; petiole 2/3 length of leaf; blade green on both surfaces, not glaucous, lanceolate, 1-2×-lobed with 2-3(-4) pairs of primary lateral lobes; primary lobes broadly lanceolate or strap-shaped, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences: scapes erect or bowed and decumbent, less than 15 cm, sparsely to densely hispid. Flowers to 6.5 cm diam.; petals yellow or white, rarely pink tinged, or brick red; anthers yellow; stigmas 4-7, disc convex. Capsules obovoid to subglobose, 1-2.5 times longer than broad, strigose, trichomes light to dark brown or black.

Many infraspecific taxa have been named from throughout the extensive range of this extremely variable species. Within North America, the following broadly circumscribed subspecies are generally, but not always, distinguishable.