Herbs, annual or biennial, 10-40(-90) cm tall; branches ascending or diffuse, gray pubescent or glabrescent. Lowermost leaves: petiole 2-2.8 cm; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, (1-)1.5-2.5(-3) × 1-2(-2.5) cm, 2-or 3-pinnatisect; middle stem leaves: petiole 0.5-1(-2) cm; leaf blade 1-2 × 0.5-0.8 cm, 2-pinnatisect; segments (3 or)4 pairs, 10-15 × 4-8 mm, 3-lobuled; lobules narrowly linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, 2-3(-5) × (0.5-)1-1.5 mm. Uppermost leaves and leaflike bracts 1-or 2-pinnatisect, sessile. Synflorescence a very narrowly conical panicle, usually erect but sometimes with more spreading lateral panicles from lower nodes; branches up to 4 cm, erect or ascending, little branched; capitula remote or congested toward apices, mostly shorter than subtending bract. Capitula erect, subsessile or shortly pedunculate. Involucre subglobose or ovoid, 1.5-2.5 mm in diam.; outermost phyllaries glabrescent, margin narrowly hyaline-scarious, apex acute. Florets 20-25, yellow. Marginal female florets 10-20, with narrowly urceolate-tubular, 2-toothed corolla. Disk florets 3-5, functionally male. Achene brown, oblong to obovoid, 0.6-0.8 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.
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