Perennials, 20-50 cm (polycarpic; usually with moderately branched, woody caudices). Stems 1-5(-10+), green throughout or lightly purple-red-tinted proximally, branched distally, ± hairy. Leaves: blades simple or lobed (lobes 3), glabrous or sparsely hairy, gland-dotted (basal leaf bases sparsely, if at all, long-villous-woolly); mid leaves usually lobed (lobes 3, terminal lobes 2-5.5 mm wide), sometimes simple. Heads 5-50+ per plant, in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays. Peduncles (2.5-)4-7.5 cm, ± hairy. Involucres subhemispheric to hemispheric, 9-12 × 12-18 mm. Phyllaries in 2 series, unequal; outer 10-15, basally connate ¹/4-¹/3 their lengths (weakly keeled), lanceolate, 7.5-11 mm, apices acuminate; inner 13(-17), obovate, 5-8 mm, apices acuminate to mucronate. Ray florets 10-16; corollas yellow to yellow-orange, 17-31 × 5-11 mm. Disc florets 50-150+; corollas 3.5-5.5 mm. Cypselae narrowly obpyramidal, 2.5-3.5 mm; pappi of 5-7 obovate to lanceolate, aristate scales 2.5-4 mm. 2n = 30.

Flowering Jun-Aug. Roadsides, open areas, edges of forests; 2200-3000 m; Ariz., Colo., Utah.