It is native to western North America from Alaska and northwestern Canada to northern California to Wyoming, where it can be found in moist, rocky habitat in mountainous areas.

It is a perennial herb growing from a caudex and rhizome system and producing a basal rosette of leaves.

Each leaf is up to 6 centimeters long, thick and fleshy with large teeth along the edges.

The inflorescence arises on a slender, hairy peduncle up to 40 centimeters tall.

Each flower has spade-shaped white petals, the upper ones dotted with gold.