Annuals, 7–70+ cm. Stems 1, ascending to erect (straight), bluish yellowish green, often red-tinged, ± succulent, glabrous. Leaves bluish (green) thin, sometimes ± fleshy, margins usually entire, sometimes serrulate, strigoso-ciliate to scabrous, midribs conspicuous, apices acute to short-acuminate, faces glabrous; basal withering by flowering, petiolate, blades spatulate, 15–205 × 1.5–9 mm, bases attenuate; proximal cauline usually withering by flowering (with clusters of smaller leaves in axils, often elongating into branches); cauline sessile, blades linear-oblanceolate, (10–)30–80(–150) × 1–4(–9) mm, gradually reduced distally, bases slightly dilated and clasping to rounded. Heads (disciform) in ± dense, narrow to pyramidal, paniculiform to racemiform arrays, branches decumbent (proximal) to ascending (distal); peduncles 0–1 cm, glabrous, bracts linear-lanceolate to linear, crowding heads. Involucres narrowly campanulate, 5–7(–11) mm. Phyllaries in 3–4 series, loose, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, subequal or outer sometimes longer, bases scarious, margins narrowly scarious proximally (outer), scabrous, green zones foliaceous (outer and mid) to lanceolate (inner), apices acute (rarely obtuse), mucronulate, faces glabrous. Ray florets 0. Pistillate florets 75–95+ in 4–5+ series; laminae 0 (corolla tubes ± 2 mm, shorter than style branches). Disc florets ± 14; corollas whitish turning pink, ± ampliate, tubes slender, longer than narrowly funnelform limbs, 3.5–5 mm, lobes narrowly triangular, ± 0.2 mm. Cypselae purple or grayish with purple streaks, obovoid to oblong-obovoid, ± compressed, 1.5–2.5 mm, 2–4-nerved (faint), faces hirsuto-strigose; pappi white or pinkish, 4–6 mm. 2n = 14.
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Herbs, annual, [7-]9-60[-70+] cm tall. Stems erect, usually branched from base, branches then decumbent, often reddish below, upper half and branches sparsely to moderately pilosulose, densely leafy. Leaves: basal petiolate, fallen at anthesis; cauline sessile, linear or linear-lanceolate, 2-6 × 0.3-0.6 cm, reduced in size upward, base subclasping, slightly decurrent, margin entire, sometimes serrulate, apex acute. Capitula disciform, numerous, in racemiform or paniculiform synflorescences, rarely solitary at ends of branches. Involucre campanulate; phyllaries 2-or 3-seriate, subequal or outer longer, linear, acute, outer leaflike, 3-6 × ca. 1 mm, margin ciliate, margin of inner scarious below, leaflike above. Ray florets 75-95+ in 4 or 5 series, reduced to tube (sometimes with an extremely reduced lamina remnant, latter sometimes pinkish), 2-3 mm, apex sparsely hairy; disk florets white with pink-tipped lobes, 3.5-5 mm, limb narrowly funnelform, ca. 2 mm, lobes erect, triangular, 0.2-0.3 mm. Achenes purplish, narrowly obovoid, [1.5-]2-2.5 mm, moderately strigillose, 2-4-veined. Pappus of many white, fine, barbellulate bristles, outer very short, inner 6-7 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
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