It is native to North America where it is known from many scattered occurrences in the mountains of the western United States and Alberta in Canada.

It is mainly limited to the alpine climates of high mountain peaks, where it grows in meadows, tundra, and barren, rocky talus.

[2] This is a petite biennial or perennial herb taking a clumped form just a few centimeters tall, its herbage growing on a caudex and taproot unit.

The inflorescence is generally a solitary flower head 1 to 3 centimeters wide with rough-haired, lance-shaped phyllaries.

The fruit is a hairy achene tipped with a deciduous pappus of bristles.