Biennial herb; stem solitary, branching above the middle, 3-6 dm tall, glabrous or sparsely pubescent in the inflorescence; basal rosette leaves dying when the plant flowers; stem leaves numerous, pinnatifid with narrowly linear lobes; inflorescence corymbose (flat-topped); involucre of flower heads 5-8 mm tall, outer phyllaries united for 1/3 to 1/2 their length, inner phyllaries ciliate-margined and blunt to acute at the apex; flowers yellow, ray corollas usually shorter than the length of the involucre; achenes appressed-hairy, pappus scales acute to acuminate at the apex. Flowers late July to September.