Erect annual or biennial herb, up to 70 cm tall. Stems ridged, with scattered hispid hairs or almost glabrous. Cauline lvs oblanceolate to linear, flat, apetiolate and cuneate, acute, entire, glabrous on lower surface, usually sparsely scaberulous or rarely glabrous on upper, with scaberulous margins or ciliate near base, 15-40-(60) × 1-4 mm; uppermost lvs smaller, usually linear. Infl. a leafy panicle with dominant main axis. Capitula 1-3 mm diam.; receptacle smooth or with short flanges between pits. Inner involucral bracts linear, green and mostly with a distinct purple spot at apex, glabrous, 3-3.5-(4) mm long; outer bracts usually glabrous, sometimes with 1-3 marginal hairs. Outer florets with evident ligules 0.5-1.5 mm long, white, sometimes becoming purplish. Achenes ± obovoid, sparsely hairy or almost glabrous, 1-1.2 mm long; pappus cream to fawn.