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Annual to perennial with cylindric rootstock. Stems erect, weakly ribbed, glabrous or with sparse fine hairs above, 30-60 cm tall. Lvs linear to lanceolate-subulate, entire, acuminate, 5-25 × 0.1-1 cm; base sheathing; margins undulate or flat. Capitula solitary; peduncles not swollen (< 3 mm thick at fruiting). Involucre with a band of felted or cobwebby tomentum at base; involucral bracts 6-8, lanceolate-acuminate, 3-4 × c. 1 cm at fruiting, usually glabrous, sometimes tomentose near apex. Corolla yellow, < involucre. Achenes fusiform, ribbed, the outer weakly muricate, the inner smooth; body c. 8-10 mm long; beak = or < body, clavate at apex. Pappus sordid, 1.5-2 cm long, plumose, in 2 rows seated on a distinct, tomentose annulus.
A tall herb. It can be an annual or grow for some years. It can have some hairs. The stems are usually not branched. It grows 70 cm tall. The stems grow upwards from a large taproot. The leaves are narrow and have a channel along them. The leaves on the stem partly clasp the stem. These leaves taper to a fine point. The flower heads are pale yellow. Each flower contains 8 sword shaped bracts. The fruit are round and fluffy. They are made up of several small nutlets. Each one has small feather like bristles.
