Herbaceous, perennial; stem tall, strong, virgate, striate, nearly glabrous, leafy for the greater part, nude and panicled at the summit; cauline leaves sessile, half-clasping, pinnati-partite, the lobes on each side several, linear, acuminate, entire or toothed, with subrecurved margins, the lowest short or toothlike, all sparsely pilose or sub-glabrous; panicle laxly corymbose, the partial corymbs 3-5-headed, the pedicels long and nude; heads many-fl., radiate, the rays purple, disc yellow; inv. amply calycled with many subulate, spreading bracteoles, of 18-20 narrow, glabrous scales; achenes black, striate, minutely puberulous in the furrows. Stems 4-5 feet high, simple and closely leafy for 3/4 of their length; then gradually nude, and ending in a spreading panicle. Leaves 3-6 inches long; the lobes 1-2 inches long, 1-2 lines wide. Inv. campanulate, 4-5 lines diameter. The name “grandiflorus” is inappropriate, as many species have larger fl. heads.
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