Annual herb, 10–40 cm tall. Leaves are petiolate, unlobed, and glabrous, thin and flat, often reddish-purple, particularly on the underside, 1.5–7 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide. Caulines are sessile, oblong-cordate and amplexicaul. Heads form lax corymbs, radiate or without ray florets; when present, the ray florets are small. Fruits are cylindrical, dark grey, ribbed, and slightly curved achenes, about 3.5 mm long, densely pubescent between the ribs.