Main stems stout, creeping and rooting, up to 1 m. or more long, branches ascending, short, seldom > 5 cm. long, sparsely hairy to glab. Lvs up to 5 cm. long, 7-15-foliolate, glab. to slightly hairy, stipules unidentate. Lflts crenate-dentate, above purplish to olive- or bronze-green (bright green in shade), below glaucescent; upper pair up to 5 mm. long, subsessile, suborbicular to broad-ovate, petiolule of terminal lflt up to 3 mm. long. Scapes pubescent to glab., up to 7 cm. long; bracts minute or absent. Heads up to 1 cm. diam., bracts linear, ± pilose. Cupules pilose to glab., c. 1-2 × 1-2 mm., turbinate, angles thickened. Spines absent. Sepals olive- to brownish-green, ovate, obtuse to subacute. Stamens 2, anthers white. Styles fimbriate on one side.

2n = c. 42

Rhizomatous perennial; stems mat-forming, c. 1.2 mm diam., < 15 cm long, soon rooting and covered by soil; erect branchlets < 4 cm long. Lvs 1.5-7 cm long; stipules entire, linear; leaflets 11-15, broad-obovate or orbicular-emarginate, 3-7 × 3-7 mm, with 7-12 obtuse teeth, dull grey-glaucous, purplish brown, or pale olive green on both surfaces, with veins and margins of lower surface hairy. Scape 1-5-(7) cm long, pilose; capitulum 4-6 mm diam. at flowering, < 2.5 cm diam. (including spines) at fruiting; florets c. 20; sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers white; styles 2, white; achenes 2. Fr. turbinate, c. 2 × 2 mm, sparsely hairy, with 4 shoulders rounded and not armed, or bearing 1-4 stout red spines < 1.3 cm long and lacking barbs or hairs at tip.