General description: Very small, densely tufted perennial, usually less than 2 cm across. Yellow flowers are in umbelliform racemes that barely exceed the basal leaves in height; the pedicels curved or sigmoid. Basal and cauline leaves are similar, spatulate, 1-5 mm wide, with no distinction between the blade and the petiole. Fruit are almost spherical. Plants have stellate hairs throughout. Very long, thin taproot (Spackman et al. 1997).

Look Alikes: The caudices of Lesquerella congesta are extremely short or non-existent; plants form a single tight and dense crown. The caudices of L. alpina are several; plants form a loose crown (Spackman et al. 1997.

Phenology: Floweris early April-May; fruiting late May-June.

Barren, white shale outcrops of the Green River and Uinta Formations.  Outcrops are exposed along drainages through erosion from downcutting of streams (Spackman et al. 1997).  Dominant associated plant community is Pinyon-Juniper woodland.  Other associated taxa include: Purshia tridentata, Cercocarpus montanus, Gutierrezia sarothrae, and Achnatherum hymenoides.

Elevation Range: 6,119 - 6,555 feet (1,865 - 1,998 meters)

Colorado endemic: Yes
Global range: Known from Rio Blanco County, Colorado; it is found only along the Piceance and Yellow Creek drainages. Estimated range is 88 square kilometers (34 square miles), calculated in 2008 by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program in GIS by drawing a minimum convex polygon around the known occurrences.

Mining and oil and gas development are considered to be the primary threats to the species (Rondeau et al. 2011). Mining of oil shale and/or nahcolite solution could impact up to 100% of the occupied habitat. A new nahcolite plant at Yankee Gulch, across from Dudley Bluffs was built in 2000. The lease may extend into Ryan Gulch. Additionally, a new drill pad was observed near Dudley Bluffs in 2000 (CNAP 2000). Other threats include livestock grazing and trampling by wild horses. ORV's can cause severe damage if access is allowed into the habitat.