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Leaves up to 25 cm. long, alternate, imparipinnate; main leaflet pairs 3–4, alternating with 1–2(3) pairs of minute leaflets reduced to 1–3(5) teeth; leaflets of main pairs up to 6 x 3 cm., ovate-oblong to obovate, sessile, coarsely and acutely serrate almost to the base; superior surface sparsely pilose and beset with sparse sessile glands, inferior surface tomentose-pubescent and densely glandular; stipules foliaceous, broadly ensiform, dentate, shortly adnate to the base of the petiole.
Perennial herb. Flowering stems up to 1 m high; sparsely hairy with short glandular hairs and long, spreading, eglandular hairs of unequal length. Leaves in a basal rosette; imparipinnate; leaflets of different sizes. Flowers: in terminal, spicate inflorescences; mature hypanthium grooved for 3/4 its length, lowest bristles rarely deflexed, if so only slightly; corolla yellow; Dec.-May. Fruit with achenes enclosed in a hairy, campanulate, basal part, ribbed, crowned by hooked bristles.
Achenes (1)2, enclosed in the hardened calyx-tube, the latter turbinate-campanulate, hairy, grooved along almost its whole length, crowned with the accrescent hooked bristles (the outer bristles 1·5–2·5 mm. long, and deflexed, innermost ones 3·5–5 mm. long, erect); calyx-lobes connivent in fruit.
Inflorescences spicate, terminal, ± lax, mostly simple racemes up to 40 cm. long; pedicels short, bracteate at the base and bibracteolate at the articulation; bract and bracteoles usually 3-fid or rarely bract triangular and entire and then bracteoles subtrilobate to 3-fid.
Calyx-tube turbinate, densely hirsute outside and armed with co hooked spinules below the calyx-lobes; calyx-lobes triangular, c. 2 x 1 mm. long, conspicuously 3-nerved.
Flowering stems up to 1 m. high, sparsely covered with both short glandular hairs and long, spreading hairs often of unequal length.
Stamens 10–15, arising from the margin of the annular thickened disk which almost closes the mouth of the calyx-tube.
Carpels 2; styles c. 2·5 nun long, filiform, exserted; stigma dilated.
Rhizomatous perennial herb with an ephemeral basal rosette of leaves.
Petals c. 6 x 4 mm., oblong to obovate, yellow, deciduous.
