Annuals, 25–180 cm. Stems usually stipitate-glandular throughout. Leaf blades broadly to narrowly lanceolate, 50–100 × 3–25 mm. Involucres broadly turbinate. Phyllaries 7–16+ × 3–5 mm, ± equal, scabrous and/or stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 5–13; corollas 10–20 mm, laminae 9–14 mm. Disc florets 25–90; corollas ± actinomorphic, 10–12 mm, throats ± funnelform, shorter than lobes. Cypselae 6–9 mm; pappus scales of inner cypselae 5–8 mm. 2n = 24.

Flowering late summer–fall. Sandy soils; 10–200+ m; Tex.

Plants of Palafoxia hookeriana with stems stipitate-glandular distally (versus throughout), phyllaries 7–12 (versus 10–16) mm, and florets 25–50 (versus 50–90) per head have been treated as var. minor Shinners.