Perennials, 20-60+ cm. Internodes (± mid stem) 15-40(-60) mm. Leaves: petioles 0-1 mm; blades usually 3-foliolate, simple blades or leaflets entire or each ± pedately divided with 3-9+, ± linear to filiform lobes 5-25(-45+) × 0.5-1(-2) mm. Peduncles 2-5(-8+) cm. Calyculi of 8 linear bractlets 3-5(-9) mm. Phyllaries 8, lance-ovate, 6-7 mm. Ray laminae 12-20+ mm. Disc florets 30-40+; corollas yellow (sometimes drying blackish), 3.5-5.5 mm. Cypselae obovate to oblong, 3.5-4 mm. 2n = 26, 52, 78.
Rhizomatous perennial 3-9 dm, often hispidulous at the nodes, otherwise glabrous; lvs sessile, 3-6 cm, ternately parted to the base, at least the central segment pinnatifid or again ternate, the ultimate segments linear-filiform, 0.3-1 mm wide; heads on very slender and rather short peduncles, the disk 5-10 mm wide, dark reddish-purple; outer invol bracts oblong or linear-oblong, 3-7 mm; rays yellow, ca 8, 1-2.5 cm; receptacular bracts linear-clavate, acutish; disk- cors 5-toothed; style-appendages cuspidately acute; achenes 3-5 mm, narrowly winged; pappus obsolete; 2n=26, 52, 78. Dry, open woods; Md. and DC. to S.C., mainly on the coastal plain, but also inland to the
Folded Appalachians; escaped elsewhere. June-Aug.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
