Perennials, 30-80 cm. Stems usually 1, usually unbranched distally, weakly winged, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy proximally, sparsely to moderately hairy distally. Leaves usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy; basal blades obovate to oblanceolate, usually pinnatifid, sometimes undulate to undulate-serrate, rarely entire; proximal and mid blades linear-oblanceolate to lance-linear, entire or undulate-serrate; distal blades lance-linear, entire. Heads 1(-3) per plant, usually borne singly. Peduncles 3-20 cm, moderately to densely hairy. Involucres hemispheric, 12-20 × 15-30 mm. Phyllaries moderately hairy. Ray florets 13-34, neuter; corollas yellow, 15-22 × 5-8 mm. Disc florets 250-650(-800+); corollas yellow proximally, yellow to yellow-brown distally, 4-5.5 mm, lobes 5. Cypselae 1.2-1.4 mm, moderately hairy; pappi of 8-11 entire or slightly lacerate, non-aristate scales 1.2-1.5 mm. 2n = 32, 34.

Flowering (Feb-)Mar-Apr(-May). Ditches, other moist areas such as wet woods, bogs, and swamp edges; 10-50 m; Fla., Ga., N.C., S.C.