Robust, tufted perennial, (10)–20–35 cm tall; rhizome 0. Stems decumbent or ascending, with spreading hairs. Basal lvs pale green, ternatifid to ternate, hairy; leaflets sessile or stalked, obovate-cuneate, 3-lobed, bluntly to sharply toothed; petioles (3)–5–10 cm long, with dense, fine, spreading hairs. Cauline lvs similar to basal but smaller, becoming simple and sharply 3-toothed. Fls 3–5 per stem, 12–18 mm diam. Pedicels sulcate, with spreading hairs, short at flowering, increasing at fruiting to 3–10 cm long; bracts narrowly lanceolate, acute, entire. Sepals recurved at late flowering, hairy. Petals 5, yellow, usually elliptic, rarely obovate; nectary single, 0.8–1 mm from petal base, covered by a short broad scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes dark or dark at tips, 40–60, in globose heads, flattened, glabrous or bearing 1 or a few bristles on margin; body 2–2.5–(3.5) mm long; beak hooked at tip, 1–1.3 mm long.
[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]