Erect or spreading herb up to 6dm. or more tall; branches and branchlets angled. Lvs on petioles up to c. 3 cm. long; lamina simple, 2-5 cm. long, about ovate-lanceolate, thin, acute to acuminate, serrate. Sts some or all lvs are pinnately cut into 3-5 segs. Capitula up to ± 15 mm. diam., on long slender peduncles. Phyll. ± 6·5 mm. long. Ray-florets few, short, or 0. Achenes almost black, 4-angled, striate, c. 4-5 mm. long; bristles us. 4, up to c. 2 mm. long.

Erect annual or short-lived perennial, 10-100 cm tall. Stems glabrous or sparsely hairy, ribbed, much-branched. Lvs glabrous to moderately hairy especially below, ciliate, petiolate, usually 3-foliolate with terminal leaflet larger, sometimes simple and not lobed to 3-lobed; leaflets sessile or shortly petiolulate, ovate to lanceolate, evenly serrate, acute to acuminate, (1)-2-10-(25) cm long. Upper cauline lvs becoming smaller, shortly petiolate, and more often simple and not lobed or 3-lobed. Capitula c. 6-10 mm diam. Outer involucral bracts 7-9, foliaceous, ciliate, linear to narrowly oblong-obovate, 3-6 mm long; inner bracts many, membranous, triangular to subulate, 4-6 mm long, with dark lined centre and pale margins. Receptacular scales similar to inner bracts but narrower. Florets usually all ☿, tubular, yellow-orange, sometimes c. 5 white ray florets present. Achenes flattened or 3-(4)-angled, ± linear, ribbed, dark brown, usually glabrous except for ribs ciliate near apex, sometimes with scattered hairs elsewhere, 5-9 mm long; awns mostly 3, sometimes 2, rarely 4, sometimes unequal, (0.5)-1.5-2.5 mm long.