[3] The common name lyreleaf greeneyes is a reference to the shape of the leaf, which is curved like a lyre and the green disc which is left behind when the ray florets drop off which is thought to look like an eye.

[4] The plant grows to about 30–60 centimetres (1–2 feet) in height and width,[4] less commonly 120 cm (4 ft).

[5] In the United States, the species is native to Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas.

In Mexico, it is native to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Durango, Sonora, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Jalisco.

[7][8][9] It prefers the U.S. Department of Agriculture's hardiness zones of 4 to 9, and can be grown in elevations as high as 2,100 m (7,000 ft).

[6] Some Native American cultures would burn the dried roots of the plant in order to treat nervous conditions or to inspire courage.