Perennials, 100-400 cm (rhizom-atous). Stems (usually yellow-brown or greenish, sometimes glaucous) erect, glabrous, hispid, ± hirsute, or scabrous. Leaves cauline; all or mostly opposite to mostly alternate; petioles 0.5-1.5 cm; blades light to dark green, 3-nerved distal to bases) ± lanceolate to ± ovate, 4-20 × 0.8-4 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire or ± serrate (flat), abaxial faces hispid to hispidulous or tomentulose to villous-tomentose, gland-dotted. Heads 1-6. Peduncles 1-18 cm. Involucres hemispheric, 10-20 mm diam. Phyllaries 30-38 (loose, spreading), lanceolate to lance-ovate, 8-16 × 1.5-3 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces usually ± strigose, rarely glabrate, not gland-dotted. Paleae 8-12 mm, 3-toothed. Ray florets 10-21; laminae 20-25 mm (abaxial faces not gland-dotted). Disc florets 60+; corollas 5-7 mm, lobes yellow; anthers dark brown to black, appendages yellow . Cypselae 3-5 mm, glabrate; pappi of 2 aristate scales 2.2-4.5 mm plus 0-2 lanceolate scales 0.5-1 mm. 2n = 34 (subspecies unknown).

Plant: Perennial 5-40 dm, from clustered, tuber-like roots; rhizome short; stems erect, glabrous or hairy Leaves: alternate or opposite, subsessile; blade 10-20 cm, narrowly lanceolate to ovate, acute to acuminate, entire or serrate, glabrous to hairy INFLORESCENCE: primary inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower; heads few-many; peduncles 1-18 cm; involucre 1-2 cm diam; phyllaries ± erect, 8-16 mm, generally < 3 mm wide, ± linear, = or slightly > disk, glabrous or tomentose; chaff scales 8-12 mm, entire or 3-toothed, acute, short-rough-hairy Flowers: Ray flowers 12-20, sterile; ligules 15-25 mm, yellow; Disk flowers: many; corollas 5-6 mm, lobes yellow, tube short, throat base often swollen, lobes triangular; style appendages triangular Fruit: achenes, 3-4 mm, oblanceolate to obovate, ± compressed; sides rounded; pappus scales 3-4 mm (sometimes also with shorter scales) Misc: Damp meadows, marshes; < 500 (c-w SW) or 1200-2500 m