Erect annual to biennial herb, up to 1.2 m tall. Stems ridged, moderately to densely hairy, often becoming sparsely hairy below. Cauline lvs oblanceolate to linear, undulate and usually twisted, apetiolate and cuneate, acute, mostly entire, sometimes remotely serrate to shallowly 1-pinnatifid, densely scaberulous, ciliate, (20)-40-100 × 2-8-(12) mm; uppermost lvs smaller, usually linear. Infl. a diffuse leafy panicle with lateral branches often exceeding main axis. Capitula 2-3 mm diam.; receptacle usually smooth, rarely with very short flanges between pits. Inner involucral bracts lanceolate to linear, green, distinctly tinged purple at apex, usually hairy at least near apex, 4-5.5 mm long; outer bracts moderately to densely hairy. Outer florets filiform, cream, usually becoming reddish. Achenes obovoid-cylindric, sparsely hairy, 1.5-1.8 mm long; pappus hairs cream to orange-yellow, usually later tinged reddish at tips.