Erect, shortly rhizomatous herb to 1 m high; stems reddish-green, glabrous, or hairy with short and long hairs. Leaves pinnate or pinnately lobed, 4–30 cm long, decreasing in size up stem; leaflets pinnately 3-foliolate or imparipinnate with 5–11 leaflets, terminal leaflet usually 3–5-lobed, hairy on both surfaces, mainly along veins, margins irregularly crenate-serrate and lobed; petiole 5–20 cm long; stipules leaflike, toothed and chiefly 3-lobed, 0.75–2 cm long. Inflorescence a terminal, few-flowered, lax cyme; peduncles to 14 cm long. Epicalyx lobes lanceolate, 2–5 mm long; sepals narrowly ovate, 4–7 mm long, hairy with short cottony hairs along upper margin and upper midrib of inner surface; petals yellow, ovate, obtuse, 5–8 mm long. Achenes c. 50–70, forming a globose head 10–15 mm long in fruit, glabrous or with a few hairs at base; style persistent and hooked, reddish, elongating to c. 10 mm; calyx and epicalyx reflexed in fruit. Flowers Dec.–Feb.
CVU, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, MonT, VAlp. NSW, ACT. Occurs along creek lines and on margins of bogs in montane to alpine areas.
