Annual or biennial herbs, up to 200 cm tall. Stem erect, branched, striate, lateral branches not overtopping, strigose, hirsute. Leaves basal and cauline, basal leaves withering at anthesis, oblanceolate or lanceolate, acute or acuminate, semi–amplexicaul, 5–18 cm long,  0.5–3 cm wide, hirsute, dense towards the margins and midrib, margins serrate or lobed, lobes usually 8–16; upper and middle leaves smaller, sessile, linear–lanceolate, acute, basally cuneate, 3.5–7 cm long, 0.2–0.5 cm wide, marginally subentire. Capitula numerous, long paniculate, 5–8 mm in diameter, peduncles 3–6 mm long. Involucre campanulate–urceolate; phallaries 2–seriate, linear–lanceolate, acute–acuminate, sparsely hairy towards the dorsal side, margins scarious, outer ones 2–2.5 mm long; inner ones ca 4 mm long. Receptacle slightly alveolate. Ray florets female, pale, filiform, apically 2–denticulate, 4–5 mm long. Disc florets bisexual, yellow, tubular, ca 4 mm long, 5–lobed. Cypselas oblong–lanceolate, light brown, 0.8–1 mm long, sparsely hairy. Pappus uniseriate, bristles barbellate, straw coloured, 3–3.5 mm long.