Biennials, 40-150 cm. Leaves: basal simple (5-20 mm wide) or 1(-2)-pinnate, 5-25 cm, lobes (3-)5-20+ × (1-)2-8+ mm; cauline 15-50. Heads (20-)40-100 per stem. Peduncles 1-5 cm. Phyllaries white to yellowish, 5-15 × 2-8 mm. Ray florets 0. Disc florets 20-80; corollas whitish, 3-5.5 mm, tubes 2-3 mm, throats funnelform, 1-3 mm, lengths ± 1 times lobes. Cypselae 3-5 mm, ± hirtellous; pappi of 14-18 scales 0.1-1 mm. Morphologic distinctions between varieties of Hymenopappus scabiosaeus as treated by B. L. Turner (1956) fail for some specimens.