General:
Perennial herb from a branching woody stem-base; stems erect, 10-30 cm tall, stiff-hairy.

Leaves:
Basal, 5 to 15, ascending, 3- or 4-times 3-parted, sometimes irregularly so, the ultimate segments linear, 1-2.5 mm wide, long-hairy; stalks 2-10 cm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence 1- (2-) flowered, terminal; flower stalks long soft-hairy; involucral bracts 3 (-4), 1-tiered, leaf-like, similar to basal leaves but short-stalked; petals absent; sepals usually 6 to 9, petal-like, all white or white tinged with blue on outside, narrowly egg-shaped, 8-20 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, hairy on outside, smooth inside; stamens 80-100, whitish.

Fruits:
Achenes, numerous in a spheric head, rarely cylindric, on stalks 3-10 cm long, the achenes egg-shaped, 2-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, not winged, silky-hairy; beaks straight, 2-4 (6) mm long, smooth.

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Ultimate leaf segments mostly 1.5-2.5 mm wide; beaks 2-2.5 mm long................. var. lithophila (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.

1. Ultimate leaf segments mostly 1-1.5(2) mm wide; beaks mostly 2-4 (6) mm long................. var. drummondii

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia