E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from a short, stout rhizome; stems erect, usually solitary, sparsely branched above, glabrous to hairy, the hairs starlike or short soft-hairy and sometimes glandular, especially above, exuding milky juice when broken, 3-35 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves persistent, tufted, hairless or short-hairy, toothed or entire, narrowly elliptic, 1-10 cm long, 3-15 mm wide; stem leaves few, reduced, bractlike.

Flowers:
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, solitary or several; involucres 6-8 mm tall; involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, subequal, grey-hairy, the hairs starlike, also with some long, soft blackish hairs which may be gland-tipped; ray flowers yellow.

Fruits:
Achenes nerved, 2-3.5 mm long; pappus tawny or sometimes white.

Notes:
Easily confused with H. triste which, upon close examination, lacks glandular hairs on the stalks of the heads and involucres.