Annuals, 5-35+ cm. Leaf blades oblanceolate to oblong-linear, 15-55+ × 3-12+ mm, lengths 4-6+ times widths, sometimes pinnately 2-4-lobed, ultimate margins ± dentate or entire. Peduncles 0-3(-11+) mm. Outer phyllaries 5, connate 0-¹/6 their lengths, lance-elliptic, 3-6 mm. Ray florets 5-8; corollas yellow, laminae oblong-ovate, 0.6-1.1+ × 0.5-10.8+ mm. Disc florets 5-8+. Fruits 2.2-3 mm. 2n = 40. Flowering Aug-Sep. Openings in pine forests; 1200-1700 m; Ariz., Colo., Tex.; Mexico. Specimens of Melampodium strigosum have been misidentified as M. hispidum Kunth, a synonym of M. sericeum (see T. F. Stuessy 1972). The station for M. strigosum in Colorado is ca. 1400 km distant from stations in Arizona and Texas.