Leaves widely to very widely ovate, semi-orbicular or rhomboidal, blades 25-120 mm long and broad, thorny; lobes dentate to doubly dentate; margins conspicuously toothed; setae spinose, 3-7 mm; spine(s) in leaf recesses between segments inflexed, attached to an inflexed laminar tooth; inflexed part of lamina usually broad, (2.0-)4.0-10.0 mm wide, setae present, vertical spines 1 to 5(6), stout, 2-20 mm; petioles 20-100 x 3-7 mm; wings narrow, ca. 1 mm wide. Male umbellules with pedicels 6 as long as bracteoles; bracteoles lanceolate or occasionally ovate, spiny, 5-10 mm. Female inflorescence with rays 10-50 mm; pseudanthial bracteoles large, 4 or 5, widely obovate, foliose, ca. 10 x 3 mm at flowering stage, massively accrescent, becoming 20-40 x 15-50 mm at fruiting stage; apex obtuse, with a sharp spine, spine ca. 4 mm; margin entire, rarely with 1 to 3 spines; pseudanthial bracteoles becoming brittle and papery at fruiting stage, reticulate venation prominent, becoming brown when dried, breaking away (with the ripe fruit attached). Fruit markedly rostrate; 1-seeded; surface occasionally spiny, brown; developed mericarp ca. 15 x 5 mm; abortive mericarp small, separating in mature fruit.
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Like A. echinatus but bases of inflexed spines on leaves broad, involucel bracts widely obovate, foliose, apex obtuse, sometimes with small lateral spines, much enlarging and papery in fruit. Mericarps rugose or spiny.
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