Stems (when present) 1-3 dm. Basal leaves: petiole 1.8-3.9 cm; blade 3.5-6.5(-8) cm, lobes 1-3 on each side, margins shallowly dentate, terminal lobe sub-orbicular, 6-12 × 5-11 mm (equal to or slightly longer than wide), considerably larger than lateral lobes, margins usually shallowly dentate, sometimes slightly lobed. Fruiting pedicels: solitary flowers 30-90 mm; racemes 30-60 mm. Flowers: sepals widely spreading, oblong-linear, 2.9-4.6 × 1-1.9 mm; petals spreading, pale yellow, obcordate to broadly obovate, (5-)6-9 × 1.5-4.5 mm, claw bright yellow, 1.6-2.8 mm, apex shallowly emarginate, apical notch 0.1-0.4(-0.6) mm deep; filaments: median 3-4.5 mm, lateral 1.3-2.4 mm; anthers 0.6-1.1 mm. Fruits oblong, 2-3.1 cm × 3-5 mm, smooth, latiseptate, (margined); valves thin; ovules 6-14 per ovary; style (1.5-)2-3 mm. Seeds 2-4.2 mm diam.; wing 0.2-0.3 mm wide; embryo straight. 2n = 48.

Flowering Mar-Apr. Pastures, roadsides, shallow limestone soils, seeps, creek margins; of conservation concern; 100-200 m; Okla.

Leavenworthia aurea is known only from Choctaw and McCurtain counties.