The leaves are alternate with two lateral veins beginning from the base, prominent and parallel to the midrib, crenate to crenate-serrate, or petiolate.

The stems are freely branched and densely pubescent with short incurved (or appressed) ascending trichomes.

[1] A. gracilens is found throughout the south-eastern U.S. coastal plain and piedmont, eastern Midwest, and New England.

[1] In the south-eastern U.S. coastal plain it is a common plant found on frequently burned sandhills (Entisols), and in pine flatwoods (Spodosols) and upland pine communities (Ultisols), as well as floodplain forest (Alphisols).

It occurs in a fairly wide range of well-drained soils, from deep sand to loams.

[4] In addition to the coastal plain it is common throughout the Piedmont region and infrequent in the mountains.