Plants 30-90 cm. Leaves alternate; petioles 0-1 mm; blades 1-nerved from bases, lance-linear to linear, 5-80 × 0.5-1 mm, margins entire. Heads in paniculiform arrays. Peduncles 2-20 mm. Involucres 5-10 mm. Phyllaries green to stramineous. Florets 15-25; corollas pale yellow to pinkish lavender, 5-7 mm. Cypselae 4-5.5 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering Aug-Nov., Apr. Open areas, wide range of soils; 100-800 m; Ark., Mo., Okla., Tex.