Plants erect, 30-150+ cm, branched mostly distally. Leaves: faces sparsely strigose to hispidulous or glabrate (margins ± ciliolate proximally, hairs erect, on nerves); proximal narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 50-100 × 5-15 mm, toothed or entire; distal similar, smaller, entire. Heads in paniculiform or corymbiform arrays. Involucres 3-4 mm. Phyllaries usually sparsely strigose (at least the outer; margins chartaceous to scarious), outer greenish, becoming reddish brown, lanceolate, shorter, inner stramineous to reddish, lance-attenuate. Receptacles 1-2+ mm diam. in fruit. Pistillate florets 30-40+; corollas ± equaling or surpassing styles, laminae 0 or to 0.3 mm. Disc florets 10-20+. Cypselae pale tan (usually some with reddish nerves), 1-1.5 mm, faces sparsely strigillose or glabrate; pappi of 15-25 white bristles 2-3 mm. 2n = 18; 54 or 56.

Flowering summer-fall. Disturbed sites; 10-100 m; introduced; Calif., Fla.; Mexico; Central America; South America; Europe; Asia; Africa.