Annual, 40 – 80  cm tall, basally branched, sparingly setaceous herb with slender tap root. Basal  leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, 10 – 25 cm long, 1.8 – 4 cm wide, irregularly lobed, glabrescent; cauline leaves akin to basal but smaller in size upwards, sessile, irregularly shaped, unequally denticulate and generally long hairy on margins;  floral region leaves lanceolate, basally cordate, long hairy on margins, acuminate at the apices.  Capitula axillary, sessile, solitary or sometimes in clusters of 4 – 9. Involucre 4 – 5 mm wide. Phyllaries glabrous or with up to 2.5 mm long glandular or non-glandular hairs, setose-ciliate on margins, sparingly tuberculate-scabrous, outside, ±callous at bases, all acuminate;  outer ones unequal in size, smaller than inner phyllaries, reflexed in upper acute to acuminate part, basally ± fleshy, entire; inner phyllaries slightly reflexed at anthesis. Receptacle  naked.  Flowers 9 – 13, ligules semi-patent, 6 – 12 mm long, bluish above, violaceous below. Style and stigmas blue.  Cypselas light brown, obconical, 2 – 2.5  mm long, 1.2 – 1.7 mm wide. Pappus inconspicuous,  a solitary row of apparently absent, up to 0.1 mm long, obtuse to subacute scales