Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and eastern Canada.

Habitat: Streambanks, bogs, ponds, wet meadows, ditches, gravelly places along roads at middle to high elevations.

Flowers: July-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, butterflies, flies, apomixis?

Weak-rooted biennial or short-lived perennial, erect, 2-60 cm. tall, the stem covered with spreading, short, stiff, blunt hairs.

Basal leaves oblanceolate, up to 15 cm. long and 12 mm. wide; cauline leaves linear, often elongate.

Peduncles erect, the lower heads surpassed by the subtending leaves, or the heads solitary; involucre 4-9 mm. high, hairy but not glandular, its bracts imbricate, pointed and purple-tipped; pistillate flowers numerous, with erect, inconspicuous white rays 2-3 mm. long and 0.25-0.5 mm. wide; disk corollas 3.5-5 mm. long, shorter than the 20-30 pappus bristles.