Lvs clustered near the ground level on a pseudoscape arising from the subterranean crown of a long, stout taproot, pinnately dissected, the blade to 8 cm; scape-like peduncles usually several, 2-10 cm at maturity; infl dense, the 3-5 rays seldom 1 cm, the pedicels 1 mm; fls white; bractlets rather broad, connate below; fr ovoid to broadly oblong, 5-10 mm, without a carpophore. Dry plains and prairies; w. Minn. to Sask., Mont., Oreg., Ariz., and n. Mex. May, June. Ours is var. acaulis.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.