General:
Perennial herb from a woody base and a taproot; stems ascending, several, branched, 10-50 cm tall, hairy or glandular, or both.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; lowermost stem leaves soon deciduous, middle and upper stem leaves oblong to spoon-shaped, appressed- or spreading-hairy, sometimes glandular, entire, 1-5 cm long, 0.2-1 cm wide.

Fruits:
Achenes oblong egg-shaped, long soft-hairy; pappus double, the inner of hairlike bristles, the outer of evident scales.

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Leaves and involucres with spreading hairs, sometimes these partly replaced by glands.................. var. hispida (Hook.) Harms

1. Leaves with appressed or nearly appressed hairs, seldom at all glandular; hairs of the involucres appressed to spreading..................... var. villosa

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia