Slender perennial, 10-15 (20) cm high. Rootstock short, stout, covered by fibrous remains of leaves from previous years. Stem scape-l ike, flexuous, often surpassed by the radical leaves in length. Radical leaves numerous, with long petioles covered by long patent hairs, blade suborbicular in outline, sparingly hairy, temately divided to near the base, lateral segments usually bilobed nearly to or beyond middle, central lobe usually less deeply 3-lobed, lobes entire or incised to dentate. Involucral leaves 3, very reduced, connate at base, lanceolate-oblong, entire or rarely 3-lobed. Peduncle very short (7-15 mm) bearing a single flower. Flowers small, 10-18 mm in diameter. Sepals 5-7, oblong to obovate-oblong, white. Younger carpels long, silky hairy, fruitlets 4-5 mm long, shortly stalked, forming a loose globose head, spindle shaped. patent hairy.