Plants 30–90 cm. Stems proximally usually glabrous, sometimes piloso-hirsute (hairs 3–8+ mm) and/or stellate-pubescent, distally usually glabrous. Leaves: basal 0(–2), cauline 6–12+; blades elliptic or oblanceolate to lanceolate, 30–80(–150) × 6–25(–35) mm, lengths 3–6+ times widths, bases cuneate, margins usually toothed, sometimes denticulate or entire, apices acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or piloso-hirsute (hairs 1–4+ mm). Heads (6–)12–50+ in corymbiform to paniculiform arrays. Peduncles usually glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular. Calyculi: bractlets 8–13+. Involucres campanulate to cylindric, 6–7 mm. Phyllaries 8–13+, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces usually glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular. Florets 8–20(–30); corollas ochroleucous to yellow, 5–8 mm. Cypselae columnar, 2–2.5 mm; pappi of 35–40+, stramineous bristles in ± 2 series, 4–5 mm.

Flowering (Jul–)Aug(–Oct). Openings in forests; (10–)500–800 m; N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.; Ala., Conn., Del., Ga., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va.

The type of Hieracium scribneri Small may have resulted from a cross between plants of H. paniculatum and H. venosum (A. Cronquist 1980).