Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast, where considered introduced.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, irrigation ditches, streambanks, and other disturbed open areas, especially in sandy soil.

Flowers: August-October

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Coarse, nearly inodorous, glabrous, taprooted annual or biennial, 0.3-3 m. tall.

Leaves 5-15 cm. long, green, pinnately divided nearly to the midrib into several narrow lobes which are again sharply toothed, or the lower bipinnatifid.

Inflorescence dense, spike-like or of short, spike-like branches; heads numerous, crowded, nearly sessile; involucre 2-3 mm. high; corollas all tubular, yellowish, all fertile, the outer pistillate; receptacle naked; pappus none.

Achenes glabrous.