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A perennial herb up to 1.2 m tall, stem stout, erect, usually winged, simple, commonly forking above to bear many heads racemosely arranged, glabrous, pubescent or cobwebby, leafy. Basal leaves crowded in a rosette, up to 30 x 10 cm, obovate-oblong to ovate to subrotund, apex acute to rounded, base narrowed, petiole-like, margins entire or sinuate-lobate to coarsely toothed, spiny, upper surface harshly pubescent, rarely smooth, lower similarly pubescent or white-felted, stem leaves few, distant, or more numerous and subimbricate, oblong or linear, similar in indumentum to the basal leaves, sessile, generally decurrent on the stem in broad or narrow spiny wings. Heads c. 2-4 cm across the expanded rays, on bracteate, usually winged, peduncles 1-10 cm long, racemosely, rarely subcorymbosely, arranged, even more rarely few or solitary. Involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 2 mm broad, tips and margins of particularly the outer bracts spiny, cobwebby on the backs. Rays and disc bright yellow. Achenes c. 2 mm long, turbinate, villous. Pappus scales up to 1 mm long, more or less oblong, obtuse or subacute.
Perennial herb, 0.1-1.2 m high; stems stout, erect, usually winged, simple, commonly forking above, pubescent or cobwebby, leafy. Leaves crowded in a rosette, obovate-oblong to ovate to subrotund, base narrowed, apex acute to rounded, margins entire or sinuate-lobate to coarsely toothed, spiny; cauline leaves few, distant, oblong or linear, sessile. Capitula usually with winged peduncles, racemosely, rarely subcorymbosely, arranged, rarely few or solitary; involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, apex and margins of outer bracts spiny. Ray florets bright yellow. Disc florets bright yellow. Flowering time Dec.-May. Pappus of scales, up to 1 mm long, ± oblong, obtuse or subacute. Cypselae turbinate, villous.
