An erect perennial herb up to c. 100 cm. tall from a semi-woody taproot; root-crown lanate. Stems annual, solitary, often flexuous, simple below and branching above, striate, ± densely pilose below and sparsely so or glabrescent above. Leaves cauline (4)7–15.5(19.5) x (0.5)1–3.5(5) cm., narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, upper leaves becoming linear, apices acute to ± attenuate, bases attenuate, margins remotely dentate to denticulate, both surfaces pilose to somewhat strigose and scabridulous, rarely glabrescent. Capitula few to many, laxly corymbiform cymose or paniculate, capitula stalks up to c. 40 cm. long, ± Hexuous, with 2–23 subulate bracts. Involucres up to c. 14 x 10 mm., obconic; phyllaries 2-seriate subequal 8–10 mm. long, narrowly lanceolate, attenuate to the apex, araneose-lanate and papillose-glandular outside; outer phyllaries often with a thickened verruculose midrib, changing ± abruptly into the bracteoles. Florets numerous; corolla tube 5–7 mm. long, cylindrical, crisped-pubescent on the outside; ligule 7–10 mm. long, erect, strap-shaped, strigose to pilose on the outside, drying greenish, apical lobes up to 2 mm. long papillose. Achenes 2–3.5 mm. long, obconic-turbinate, truncate above, 4–5-angled, finely 12–15-ribbed, scabridulous or glabrous; pappus of numerous persistent barbellate setae 5–7 mm. long, equalling or slightly exceeding the involucre in length, sometimes with an outer series of minute setae.
