Plants 6-12(-20+) dm. Stems puberulent. Leaves mostly cauline; blades elliptic to lance-ovate or lanceolate, 6-16(-20+) cm × 18-48+ mm, l/w = 2.5-4(-6+), abaxially usually puberulent to tomentose or pannose (hairs ± erect, ± curled), seldom glabrate, resin-gland-dotted, adaxially scabrellous, glabrescent, not resin-gland-dotted. Heads in corymbiform-scorpioid arrays. Peduncles 3-35 mm. Involucres broadly campanulate to urceolate, (6-)7-10+ × 5-9+ mm. Phyllaries 50-70+ in 6-7 series, sparsely scabrellous, glabrescent (seldom resin-gland-dotted), margins ciliolate, the outer lanceolate, 1-2 mm, inner linear-oblong to oblong, 6-7(-9+) mm, tips acute or rounded-apiculate. Florets 30-55+. Cypselae 3.5-4; pappi stramineous to whitish, outer scales 25-30, 0.5-1.1 mm, contrasting with 35-40+, 6-8+ mm inner bristles. 2n = 34. Flowering Jul-Sep. Prairies, loamy to sandy soils; 30-200 m; Ala., Ark., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Mich., Miss., Mo., Okla., Tenn., Tex.