Annual or biennial herbs. Stem 40 – 80 (-150) cm tall, erect, subglabrous, succulent. Radical leaves rosulate, 3 – 18 (-20) x 2 – 8 cm, dilated at the base, obovate, pinnatifidly lobed, acute often spinuous-toothed; cauline leaves sessile with cordate base, auriculate-semiamplexicaul. Synflorescence cormbosely-paniculate. Capitula narrowly cylindric, 1 – 1.5 x c. 0.4 cm, 15-20 florets per capitulum, cylindrical, bracteolate. Involucre subcylindric, 9 – 13 mm long. Phyllaries 3-4 -seriate; outer phyllaries 2 – 5 x 1 – 2 mm, ovate-triangular, acute; inner 10 – 12 x 1 – 1.3 mm, linear-oblong, subobtuse, finely membranous. Florets yellow. Cypselas 4 x 1.3 mm, blackish-brown, obovoid-oblanceolate, with 7-9 narrow ribs, finely pilose usually at the apex, apically attenuate into 3 – 4 mm long, white, filiform beak; pappus 5 – 6 mm long, white