Perennial herb, up to 0.6 m high. Stems only with short wings below leaves. Leaves alternate, regularly set along stem; blade of basal leaves broadly elliptic, up to 350 x 150 mm, apex obtuse, margins sinuate-lobate, lobes rounded, beset with short spines and spinose-ciliate, upper surface harshly pubescent, lower surface white-felted; blade of upper leaves smaller, linear or narrowly ovate, apex acute, bases shortly decurrent on stem; basal leaves very shortly petiolate, upper leaves sessile. Heads radiate, 50-80 mm in diameter, corymbosely arranged, pedunculate. Involucral bracts connate at base, outer ones linear, up to 2 mm wide, apex spinose, margins minutely spinose or ciliate, glandular on back. Flowers: ray and disc florets yellow; Feb. Fruit with cypsela turbinate, glabrous, 1.5-3.5 mm long. Pappus of scales, uniseriate, < 1 mm long, obtuse.
An erect perennial herb up to 60 cm tall, stems simple below, branching above into the compound inflorescence, hispid with short whitish hairs, leafy. Lower leaves up to 35 x 15 cm, ovate-to elliptic-oblong, narrowed to a short petiole, margins sinuate-lobate, lobes rounded, margins beset with short spines, harshly pubescent above, white-felted below, stem leaves similar to the basal but subpinnatifid, rapidly becoming smaller upwards, the upper ones lanceolate, nearly entire, sessile, decurrent in short broad spiny wings. Heads 5-8 cm across the expanded rays, on long bracteate peduncles, 3 or more corymbosely arranged. Involucral bracts linear, up to 2 mm broad, tip and margins spiny, glandular on the back. Rays and disc yellow. Achenes c. 3 mm long, turbinate, glabrous. Pappus scales less than 1 mm long, obtuse.
Perennial herb, up to 0.6 m high. Stems winged. Leaves mostly radical, margins sinuate-lobate, lobes rounded, margins beset with short spines, white-felted below. Heads radiate, outer involucral bracts narrowly lanceolate, up to 3 mm broad. Achenes glabrous. Flowers yellow.