It is native to much of the western United States, including the desert regions.

It is a perennial herb, often stemless, producing leaves and inflorescence from ground level or from a fibrous basal stalk.

The waxy, fleshy leaves have blades divided into multilobed leaflets and are borne on short petioles.

The inflorescence is a rounded cluster of flowers held on a peduncle which may be erect and several centimeters tall or nearly nonexistent.

The purple flowers are sheathed in dark-veined white bracts.