It is native to western and central North America from Alberta and Saskatchewan south as far as Chihuahua and Baja California.

It is a taprooted perennial herb growing as a small clump on the ground to an erect spray of stems up to a meter (40 inches) tall.

They are glandular and thinly hairy to quite woolly, and dark green under the coat of white wool.

The stem ends in a branching inflorescence of knob-shaped discoid flower heads.

[4] There are many varieties,[4] including: The Zuni people apply a poultice of chewed root with lard to swellings.