Plants 30-150 cm. Leaves opposite; petioles 0-1 mm; blades 1-nerved from bases, lance-linear to linear, 5-90 × 1.5-9 mm, margins entire. Heads in paniculiform arrays. Peduncles 10-100 mm. Involucres 8-13 mm. Phyllaries greenish, sometimes purple-tinged (apices obtuse to acuminate). Florets 16-30; corollas pale yellow-green to pinkish lavender, 4.7-8 mm. Cypselae 4-5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering May-Oct. Open areas, wide range of soils; 400-1400 m; Ariz., Colo., N.Mex., Tex., Utah; Mexico.