annual, viscoso-pubescent, erect, paniculately branched; leaves petioled, more or less clasping at base, polymorphous (either oblong or obovate, subentire or toothed, lyrate, pinnatifid or bipinnatifid, with cuneate, toothed or incised lobes;) corymb laxly several-headed, the pedicels long and scaly; heads radiate, 30–50-fl., the disc yellow, rays purple; inv. nearly nude at base, of 12–13 narrow, keeled, scabrous scales; achenes tapering, striate, puberulous. A smaller and more slender plant than S. elegans, from which it is at once distinguished by its very dissimilar involucres. Stems 3–18 inches high, weak. Thunberg, both in his Herb. and Flora, confounds with it S. elegans and a hispidulous form of S. littoreus: and gives the name myrrhifolius to specimens with more divided leaves. Of the synonyms at my disposal, I adopt arenarius, as being most appropriate.
