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Perennial herb, up to 2 m high. Stems not winged, stout, with slender spines up to 7 mm long. Leaves alternate, scattered along stem; blade of lower leaves elliptic, up to ± 200 x 100 mm, apex obtuse or subacute, margins shallowly dentate or sinuate-dentate, teeth spinose, spinose-ciliate in between, upper surface harshly pubescent, lower surface white-cobwebby; upper leaves smaller, narrower, apex acute, base half-clasping, not decurrent on stem; basal leaves petiolate, upper leaves sessile. Heads radiate, 30-40 mm in diameter, many in a spreading, corymbose panicle, pedunculate. Involucral bracts connate at base, linear, up to 2.5 mm wide, apex and margins spiny, minutely glandular on backs. Flowers: ray and disc florets yellow; Mar. Fruit with cypsela turbinate, glabrous, ± 2.5 mm long. Pappus of scales, uniseriate, up to 1 mm long, obtuse.
A coarse herb up to 2 m tall, stem stout (up to 1.5 cm diam. near base), simple below, branching above into the compound inflorescence, beset with slender spines up to 7 mm long, leafy. Leaves up to c. 20 x 10 cm, elliptic, apex obtuse or subacute, base narrowed gradually or abruptly to a petiole up to 4 cm long, upper leaves smaller, narrower, sessile, half-clasping, margins denticulate or repand-denticulate, spinose-ciliate, upper surface harshly pubescent, lower white-cobwebby. Heads 3-4 cm across the expanded rays, many in a spreading corymbose panicle. Involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 2.5 mm broad, tip and margins spiny, minutely glandular on the back. Rays and disc yellow. Achenes c. 2.5 mm long, turbinate, glabrous. Pappus scales up to 1 mm long, obtuse.
