[1] It is native to the western United States, including the Great Basin and surrounding regions, where it grows in sagebrush, woodlands, and other habitat.

It is a perennial herb producing a basal rosette of thick leaves which are each divided into three double-lobed leaflets at the end of a petiole.

The inflorescence arises from the rosette on an erect, leafless stalk usually no more than 20 centimeters tall.

At the center of the flower are many yellow stamens and pistils.

It was named after Charles Lewis Anderson by Asa Gray.