Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California, also from Texas to the northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Roadsides, rocky balds, meadows, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas at low elevations, often where sandy.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Tap-rooted, glabrous annual or winter annual, 1-4 dm. tall, sparingly branched, nearly naked, with milky juice.
Leaves all basal, oblanceolate, toothed or pinnatifid, 3-35 cm. long and 7-35 mm. wide.
Heads several or solitary, terminating the branches, not showy, opening only in full sun; involucre 8-10 mm. high, the bracts imbricate; corollas all ligulate, yellow, about the same length as the involucre and only twice as long as broad; receptacle covered with chaffy bracts; pappus of plumose bristles, except the outer merely barbellate and shorter.
Achenes 4-5 mm. long, with small, sharp projections on the nerves, and with a well-developed, slender beak except for the outer achenes.