Plants 100-300 cm (rhizomatous). Stems smooth to weakly striate (glaucous). Basal leaves: blades usually ovate or ovate-cordate, to 21 cm (bases truncate or subcordate), margins shallowly lobed or dentate (sinuses smooth). Cauline leaves: (abaxial faces pale green, glaucous) proximal petiolate, ± deltate, margins coarsely dentate; distal petiolate or sessile, smaller. Involucres (7.5-)8-10(-10.5) mm. Phyllaries (pale green) oblong, midveins not winged (tips obtuse to acute, sparsely papillate). Corollas white, usually with green, sometimes purple, 8-9.5(-13) mm. Cypselae fusiform or ellipsoid, 4-5 mm (brown or purplish, 8-10-ribbed); pappi 5-6(-7) mm (readily falling). 2n = 50, 52, 56. Flowering Jul-Nov. Edges of woods, pastures, roadsides; 10-600 m; Ala., Ark., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., Md., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Wis.