Herb 40–90 cm high, erect, spiny; stems arising from a basal rosette, tinged dark crimson, pubescent, with strongly spiny interrupted wings.. Leaves sessile, decurrent, spiny, pinnately lobed, the basal ones oblong-linear, 20–37 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, arching like cats’ tails, with 50–90 pairs of lateral lobes, base petioloid and crimson, the more distal ones rather few, smaller, 3–18 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, with 8–20 pairs of lateral lobes; with strong spines terminating the lobes and their lobules, and shorter but strong marginal spines in between, glabrous.. Capitula in dense terminal clusters to 6 cm in diameter; involucre 20–30 mm long; phyllaries many, lanceolate, the outermost shortest, 10–28 mm long, the outer distally with somewhat expanded blade with the margins proximally ciliate, distally pinnate-pectinate, apex somewhat spinescent; receptacle setae flattened, 14 mm long.. Florets many; corolla mauve to purple, tube 11–13 mm long, lobes 4–5 mm long, anthers grey-purple or blue, style white.. Achenes shiny brown, smooth, 4 mm long, inflated; pappus bristles 14–15 mm long, distally slightly expanded, united in a ring at base and falling as a unit.
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