Erect, weedy annual with branches and stems that are often red-tinged. The round to lance-shaped green leaves are 3-veined and up to 8 inches long. The flowering stalk is a large, dense, round cluster of many tiny pale yellow or whitish flower heads.
Erect annual; leaves stemmed, toothed, rounded to lance-like; 30 to 300 flower heads, usually just 1 flower each, either pale yellow or whitish ray or disc flowers, in dense, stemless, axillary clusters; sepals 0; bracts usually 2.
Habitat
Grows in many types of wet habitats including those with saline, clay and gypsum (high in calcium and sulfur) rich soils. Found in moist roadside soils, waste places, stream banks and sometimes in cultivated areas.
Flower Characteristics
Flowering stalk is a large, dense, tight head-like cluster (glomerule) of many small flower heads. Each flower head usually contains 1 tiny tube-like yellow disc floret in the center with 1 yellow or whitish strap-shaped ray floret around the periphery.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves grow in opposite pairs around the stem, sometimes their bases are fused together (connate). Leaves often have stalks but those on the upper stem may be stalkless. Leaf edges usually have tiny widely spaced teeth. Stems are often red-tinged.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is about 1/16 inch long, black, dry, with an oblong shape and 10 ribs on its surface. It doesn't split open at maturity to release the seed and doesn't have a hairy tuft (pappus) on its tip.
1 seed is produced by the fruit.