Annual herbs. Stems erect, 30-60 cm tall, hispid, branched, somewhat aromatic. Leaves petiolate, ovate, 5-13 cm long (including petiole 0.3-5 cm, apex acute, base truncate to rounded, rarely cordate, margins crenate. Heads to 6 mm across, in dense small terminal corymbs of 8-15 heads. Involucres campanulate, bracts 2-3 seriate, linear, subequal, acute, sparsely pilose outside. Flowers many (60-75), pale blue or white; corollas tubular, 1-1.5 mm long, limb 5-cleft. Achenes linear-oblong, black, 5-angled; pappus of 5 short scales, scales often serrate basally, ending in a long awn.
TAIPEI: Pinglin, Shen 1882. CHANGHUA: Wanhsing, Hsu 4724. NANTOU: Fenghuangku, Wang 114. TAINAN: Chuwei, Hsu 6618. PINGTUNG: Hsu & Peng 16641. HUALIEN: Hungyeh, Peng 11630.
Pantropical; originally from tropical America. A common weed in waste areas and fields from low to middle elevations throughout Taiwan.
