Annual or biennial, 10-60-(75) cm tall, usually branched only at base; stems 1-several, erect or ascending. Basal lvs usually present at flowering, sometimes dead but persistent, apetiolate, spathulate to elliptic-oblong, 20-110-(150) mm long. Lower cauline lvs apetiolate, densely white-tomentose on lower surface, usually glabrous on upper, sometimes sparsely hairy on upper when young, strongly discolorous, plane, oblong to spathulate or oblanceolate, usually obtuse, rarely acute, mucronate, usually flat, sometimes undulate, 20-90 × 4-18 mm; upper cauline lvs smaller, broader based, often ± oblong, sometimes folded. Capitula in dense terminal and axillary clusters; clusters usually forming a dense terminal spike and often scattered below, rarely infl. diffuse and much-branched. Involucral bracts oblong, acute to apiculate, 2.5-3.2 mm long; stereome usually green, rarely reddish purple toward apex; lamina pale brown, often darker toward base; gap and margins usually clear, rarely flushed reddish purple; outer bracts glabrous. Achenes minutely papillate, c. 0.6 mm long.