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Glabrous, leafy and branching, taprooted annual 4–12 dm; lvs subsessile or short-petiolate, 5–10 cm, once or twice pinnatifid, the ultimate segments linear or lance-linear, 1–4 mm wide; heads numerous, the disk red-purple, 5–12 mm wide; outer invol bracts 2 mm, the inner 5–8 mm, deltoid-oblong or ovate; rays 1–2 cm, yellow, usually red-brown at base; receptacular bracts linear-subulate, attenuate-acuminate, few-striate; disk cors 4-toothed; style-appendages short and blunt; achenes 1–4 mm, wingless or narrowly to broadly winged; pappus obsolete or nearly so; 2n=24. Moist, low places and disturbed sites; primarily c. and s. Great Plains and Tex., e. to Ark. and La., but widely cult., escaped, and irregularly established elsewhere; June–Aug. Ours is var. tinctoria.
Annuals, (10-)30-70(-150+) cm. Leaves: proximal blades usually 1(-3)-pinnate, terminal lobes lance-ovate to oblanceolate, 10-60 x 5-25 mm; cauline blades usually 1-2(-3)-pinnate, rarely simple, simple blades or terminal lobes lance-linear to linear or filiform, 10-45 x 0.5-2(-5+) mm. Peduncles 1-5(-15 + ) cm. Calyculi of deltate-lanceolate bractlets 1-3+ mm. Phyllaries ± lance-oblong to lance-ovate, 4-7(-9) mm. Ray laminae usually yellow with red-brown blotch, sometimes red-brown in proximal 1/3-9/10 and distally yellow, rarely yellow throughout, 12-18+ mm. Disc corollas 2.5-3+ mm. Cypselae 1.5-3(-4+) mm, wings 0 or 0.1-0.7+ mm wide; pappi 0, or of 1-2 cusps or subulate scales 0.1-1 + mm. Flowering year round, mostly Jun-Aug.
Annuals, (10-)30-70(-150) cm. Leaves: proximal blades usually 1(-3)-pinnate, terminal lobes ovate-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10-60 × 5-25 mm; cauline blades usually 1-3-pinnate, rarely simple, simple blades or terminal lobes linear-lanceolate to linear or filiform, 10-45 × 0.5-5 mm. Peduncles 1-15 cm; calycular bracts deltate-lanceolate, 1-3+ mm; phyllaries ± oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 4-9 mm. Ray limbs usually yellow with red-brown blotch, sometimes red-brown in proximal 1/3-9/10 and distally yellow, rarely yellow throughout, 12-18+ mm. Disk corollas 2.5-3+ mm. Achenes 1.5-4 mm, wings absent or 0.1-0.7 mm wide; pappus absent, or of 1 or 2 cusps or subulate scales 0.1-1 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug. 2n = 24.
Annuals, (10–)30–70(–150+) cm. Leaves: proximal blades usually 1(–3)-pinnate, terminal lobes lance-ovate to oblanceolate, 10–60 × 5–25 mm; cauline blades usually 1–2(–3)-pinnate, rarely simple, simple blades or terminal lobes lance-linear to linear or filiform, 10–45 × 0.5–2(–5+) mm. Peduncles 1–5(–15+) cm. Calyculi of deltate-lanceolate bractlets 1–3+ mm. Phyllaries ± lance-oblong to lance-ovate, 4–7(–9) mm. Ray laminae usually yellow with red-brown blotch, sometimes red-brown in proximal 1/3–9/10 and distally yellow, rarely yellow throughout, 12–18+ mm. Disc corollas 2.5–3+ mm. Cypselae 1.5–3(–4+) mm, wings 0 or 0.1–0.7+ mm wide; pappi 0, or of 1–2 cusps or subulate scales 0.1–1+ mm. 2n = 24 (+ 0–2 Bs).
A herb. It grows each year from seed. It grows 60-90 cm tall. The leaves are opposite and without stalks. They are 1-6 cm long by 0.5-2.5 cm wide. They are divided once or twice into narrow segments.
