Erigeron bellidiastrum Nutt.

Erigeron bellidiastrum is recognized by its annual duration, upcurved hairs of the stem, relatively few rays, 1-seriate pappi, and by some ray florets consistently produced between the phyllaries, the mature cypselae of these held in place as the phyllaries reflex at maturity.

Annuals (or biennials?), 3.5–30(–50) cm; taprooted. Stems erect to ascending, hirsutulous (hairs upcurved), usually eglandular, sometimes minutely glandular (var. arenarius). Leaves basal (sometimes persistent) and cauline or mostly cauline; blades linear to oblanceolate or spatulate, 10–60(–80) × 2–6(–9, or 15) mm, margins entire, lobed, or pinnately dissected, faces sparsely strigose, eglandular. Heads 1–12 usually in diffuse arrays (from branches beyond midstems or sometimes clustered distally). Involucres 3–5 × 5–7(–11) mm. Phyllaries in 2–3(–4) series, hispidulous, minutely glandular. Ray florets 22–70 (some positioned among inner phyllaries); corollas white, often with abaxial lilac midstripe, drying white to bluish, 4–7.5 mm, laminae not coiling or reflexing. Disc corollas 2.2–3 mm (throats indurate and inflated). Cypselae 1–1.6(–1.8) mm, 2-nerved, faces sparsely strigose; pappi: outer cartilaginous crowns, inner of 15–18 bristles.