It produces one or more stems from a basal rosette of leaves and a thick taproot.

They are green with a yellowish or red-purple tinge and measure up to 14.5 centimeters in length.

The strongly fragrant flowers have petals up to 2.6 centimeters long which are white, fading pink.

[5] This species has been found only in Colorado, so it is currently considered to be a state endemic, but there is a strong possibility it grows in New Mexico, as well.

[4] Associated plants include prairie onion (Allium textile), Bigelow sagebrush (Artemisia bigelovii), hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus reichenbachii), warty spurge (Euphorbia spathulata), James' seaheath (Frankenia jamesii), scarlet gaura (Gaura coccinea), curly-top gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), Fendler's bladderpod (Physaria fendleri), rose heath (Leucelene ericoides), golden blazingstar (Mentzelia chrysantha), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), Colorado beardtongue (Penstemon auriberbis), silky sophora (Sophora nuttalliana), scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), and prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata).