Annual herbs; stems erect, 20-100 cm tall, sometimes purplish, branches ascending-spreading, pseudo-dichotomously branching in upper part, densely or sparsely appressed short pubescent. Median cauline leaves chartaceous or thinly membranaceous, long petiolate, ovate-oblong to deltoid-ovate, 5-14×3-12.5 cm, apex short acuminate to acute, base truncate to cuneate or narrowed into winged petiole, margins irregularly obtuse-dentate, 3-nerved, irregularly lobulate on lower margin, densely short pubescent on both surfaces, glandular dotted beneath; upper leaves gradually smaller and narrower, short petiolate, oblong, obtuse, uppermost oblong lanceolate, subsessile. Heads many, 16-21 mm wide, peduncle 1-4.5 cm long, puberulous; involucral bracts 5, spreading, stipitate glandular pilose; ray corolla 1.5-2.5 mm long; disc corolla tubular, yellow, 1.5 mm long. Achenes 2.5-3.5 mm long, truncate, incurved, black, glabrous, 4-angled. Chromosome number, 2n = 30 (Peng & Hsu, 1978).

TAIPEI: Nankang, Wang 753; Shihting, Peng 10598. ILAN: Chiaohsi, Lungtanhu, Liu 551; Yuanshan experimental forestry farm, Panero 6453. HSINCHU: Emei, Wang 727; Hsinfeng, Hongmaokang, Peng 13977. MIAOLI: Shihtan, Leu 923; Chunan, Lin 590. TAICHUNG: Takeng, Peng 9977; Kukuan, Peng 8722. NANTOU: Tungpu, Peng 6486; Hsinyi, Peiyushan, Chiang 105. KAOHSIUNG: Tengchih, Yang 5100. PINGTUNG: Wutai, Peng 10201; Chunjih, Tahan Forest Trail, Leu 644. TAITUNG: Lanyu Is., Yang 7745; Chingshuiyen, Yang 23731. HUALIEN: Hsiulin, Yenhai Forest Road, Wang 395.

Southeast Asia, India to Africa, Australia, Japan and China. Taiwan, widespread in waste fields at low elevations.

It is virtually impossible to effectively distinguish S. orientalis from S. glabrescens; they are thus treated as synonymous.