Perennials, 30–150 cm; taprooted caudices or runner roots. Stems 1–several, erect or ascending, glabrous to thinly arachnoid-tomentose with fine non-septate trichomes and/or villous with septate trichomes, sometimes ± glabrate; branches 0–many, ascending. Leaves: blades oblong-elliptic, 3–40 × 1–13 cm, unlobed and spinulose to shallowly lobed or divided nearly to midvein, lobes few–many, ovate to linear-acuminate, often again lobed or divided, main spines 2–30 mm, abaxial faces green, glabrous to densely gray tomentose, sometimes midveins villous with septate trichomes, adaxial green, glabrous to gray-tomentose, sometimes glabrate; basal sometimes present at flowering, unlobed to deeply spiny-lobed, winged-petiolate or sessile; principal cauline sessile, well distributed, gradually diminished distally, bases sometimes decurrent as spiny wings to 2.5 cm or clasping; distalmost sometimes ± bractlike. Heads 1–100+, erect, in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays. Peduncles 0–15 cm. Involucres cylindric or ovoid to campanulate, 1.5–4 × 1–2.5 cm (body), loosely arachnoid or ± glabrous. Phyllaries in 7–9 series, imbricate, green or the inner reddish to rich reddish purple, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), margins of outer entire, abaxial faces often with narrow, inconspicuous glutinous ridge; outer and mid bodies appressed, short, entire, apices spreading to ascending, inconspicuous to long, narrow, entire or minutely ciliolate, spines erect to reflexed (outer) to ascending (inner), slender to stout, cylindric or basally flattened, 1–30 mm; apices of inner unarmed or with straight or flexuous spines, short, flat. Corollas pink to red, lavender, or purple (white), 25–31 mm, tubes 7–12.5 mm, throats 1.5–8.5 mm, lobes 10–17 mm; style tips 1–4 mm. Cypselae brown, 3.5–7 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.2–0.3 mm; pappi 17–28 mm. 2n = 30, 32, 34.
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