Perennials, (1-)2-8(-12+) dm; often rhizomatous or stoloniferous.
Leaves mostly basal or mostly cauline at flowering; sessile or petiolate, petioles ± winged (often clasping at bases); blades mostly elliptic, ovate, or obovate to lanceolate, oblanceolate, or spatulate (rarely orbiculate), bases ± cuneate, margins usually toothed (rarely entire), apices obtuse to acute, abaxial or both faces usually resin-gland-dotted.
Heads ± discoid, sessile, not individually bracteate, in clusters of (1-)10-40+ in corymbiform-paniculiform arrays 6-15(-25) cm diam. (each cluster subtended by 2-3 ± deltate bracts).
Involucres ± cylindric, 1-3+ mm diam.
Phyllaries 8 in 4 decussate pairs, the outer 4 ovate, inner 4 lanceolate, all ± chartaceous, margins entire, tips ± spinose to apiculate, abaxial faces of inner 4 usually dotted distally with resin glands.
Florets (1-)4(-5+); corollas white or pink to purple, tubes longer than abruptly funnelform throats, lobes 5, lance-linear, unequal (abaxial sinus deepest).
Cypselae ± clavate, sometimes ± flattened, 10-nerved or -ribbed, strigillose to hirsutulous;
pappi persistent, of 5(-6), 1-aristate scales (look closely for squamiform, gradually to abruptly tapering base of each arista).
x = 11.
Pseudelephantopus spicatus is sometimes treated as a member of
Elephantopus.
