Plants scarcely to ± tufted. Caudex branches thick, not columnar, not sheathed with marcescent whole leaves. Stems ascending to erect, (0.3–)0.8–2.5(–4.5) dm, lengths (2–)3–5 times basal leaves. Basal leaves 1.5–12(–20) cm; petiole 1–7(–15) cm, long hairs sparse to abundant, spreading to ± ascending, rarely loosely appressed, 1–2(–2.5) mm, usually stiff, sometimes weak (subsp. chamissonis), verrucose, short and/or crisped hairs absent or sparse to abundant, cottony hairs absent, glands absent or sparse; leaflets separate to ± overlapping, central obovate, 1–3.5(–4.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, usually petiolulate, ?petiolule to 5 mm?, base cuneate, margins slightly revolute, distal ± 3/4 incised ± 1/2 to midvein, teeth (2–)3–4(–6) per side, ± approximate to distant, surfaces dissimilar, often strongly so, abaxial white to gray, long hairs 0.5–1.8 mm, cottony-crisped hairs ± dense, adaxial green, sometimes grayish green, long hairs sparse to abundant, short-crisped hairs sparse to abundant. Cauline leaves (0–)1–2. Inflorescence 1–7(–15)-flowered. Pedicels 1.5–5 cm in flower, to 6(–10) cm in fruit. Flowers: epicalyx bractlets linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, 2–5(–7) × 0.4–1.2(–1.5) mm, 1/4–1/2 as wide as sepals, margins usually flat, red glands absent or sparse and inconspicuous; hypanthium 3–5 mm diam.; sepals 3–6(–8) mm, apex acute; petals 4–7(–10) × 4–7(–9) mm, ± longer than sepals; filaments 0.8–1 mm, anthers 0.4 mm; carpels 28–40, apical hairs absent, styles conic-columnar, strongly papillate-swollen in proximal 1/5–1/3, 1–1.5 mm. Achenes 1.1 mm.