Erect, glabrous or hispid herb, 1.5 m. tall, branched from base; stem rigid, hispid, angled or grooved; leaves variable, lower radical leaves layrate or lanceolate, dentate, hispid, sessile; upper cauline leaves alternate, layrate to lanceolate, subentire; heads sessile, homogamous, blue, on 2-4 cm long, axillary, branched, thickened peduncles; receptacle flat, naked or subfimbrillate; involucral bracts 2-seriate, glandular, hispid, much shorter than corolla, outer few, shorter, inner longer, concave at base with outer florets in the concavity; flowers blue sometimes white or pink, all ray florets, ligulate, bisexual, 5 lobed, pubescent on outer surface of corolla; stamens-5, syngenecious, epipetalous, violet; ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, stigma bifid, style simple, hairy; achenes 5-angled, glabrous, many ribbed or striate, base contracted, tip truncate or the margin slightly produced; pappus scales pale, obtuse, short, 2-3 seriate.