It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it occupies mainly desert habitat, often on calcareous soils.

The rhizome bears tan scales, sometimes dark at the base, which is up to 10 millimeters (0.4 in) long and may or may not have hairlike small teeth on the edge.

[2] The leaves are 7 to 40 centimeters (2.8 to 16 in) long, and divided into 20 to 50 pairs of pinnae (leaflets) which are sometimes lobed.

The largest specimens typically measure 4 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 in) long.

The lobes are broadly rounded, and the indentations between them are shallow.