Tufted perennial herb forming mats up to 5 dm across; leaves broadly elliptic, 3-5 cm long, 1.5-3.0 cm wide, margins entire, green above, white tomentose below; inflorescences branched 3-5 times, 2-5 dm tall; bracts leaflike, those of the first node elliptic, 2-4 cm long, 0.7-1.8 cm wide; flowers clustered within involucres, yellow, each basally stipitate on short, slender stalk; seeds three-angled, not winged. Flowers June to September.