Erect herbs, 30-80 cm tall, stem usually simple or feebly branched above, greyish or brownish tomentose. Leaves linear-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, (1.5-) 3-10 x 0.6-2.0 cm, acuminate, sessile or narrowed at base, or somewhat subamplexicaul, densely cinnamomeus beneath, upper surface less densely cinnamomeus than beneath, to almost glabrous, dark green, mostly 3-veined. Capitula in branched terminal corymbs, yellow or white, 4-5 x 4-7 mm, sparsely hairy, predominantly female or male or rarely predominently male; peduncle 3-8 mm long, densely woolly; phyllaries 5-7 (-10)-seriate, white, brownish at base, outer small, middle ones longest, oblong-elliptic, 4-6 mm long, obtuse to acuminate, inner ones shortly apiculate with denticulate margins. Bisexual florets 30-40, filiform (functionally male) in predominantly male capitula, female florets 5-10, tubular; bisexual florets 2-3 and female florets 60-70 in predominantly female capitula. Corolla of female florets ± 3.5 mm long, of bisexual florets slightly longer than the female florets with distinct glandular lobes. Cypselas of female florets oblong, dark brown, papillose, 1-1.5 mm long; pappus white, 3-3.5 mm long. Cypselas of bisexual florets very small, ± 1 mm long. Papillose, dark brown.

Fl.Per.: July-September.

Type: Described from America.

A widely distributed species. Grows in shady slopes, between 2000-4000 m; young leaves and plants are said to be eaten as a pot herb; Distribution: N America, C Europe, E Russia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Xizang, China to Korea.