General: Perennial herb with long stolons bearing reduced leaves, except those that are larger at the ends; stems erect, several, branched above, thinly woolly-hairy, 5-15 cm tall.
Leaves: Basal leaves spoon-shaped to oblanceolate, 20-40 mm long, 6-12 mm wide, 1- to 3-nerved, hairy above when young, sometimes becoming glabrous when mature, woolly-hairy below with slender tips; stem leaves linear, 12-40 mm long, with the upper ones papery at the tips.
Flowers: Heads few to many in a compact inflorescence; involucres of 1 type, these female, 6-10 mm tall, hairy at the base; involucral bracts narrow, abruptly sharp-pointed, light brown, white, cream or sometimes rose at the base, 4-6.5 mm long.
Fruits: Achenes elliptic 1-2 mm long, warty; pappus white with hairlike bristles, 6-8 mm long.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
A shade-tolerant/intolerant, montane to subalpine, transcontinental North American forb. Occurs in continental boreal and cool temperate climates on very dry to moderately dry soils; its occurrence increases with increasing continentality. Sporadic in non-forested communities or open-canopy forests on water-shedding sites in the coast interior ecotone. Occasionally inhabits exposed mineral soil. Characteristic of moisture-deficient sites.
